Detailed steps on teaching chicks to eat? How do I do it???

[West Bend]

I would suggest putting marbles or something that size in the waterer. Those little thing will fall asleep anywhere.....

 

[All4Eggz]

I would suggest putting marbles or something that size in the waterer. Those little thing will fall asleep anywhere.....

Agreed. I put little pebbles so they don't drown..

 

[All4Eggz]

I would suggest putting marbles or something that size in the waterer. Those little thing will fall asleep anywhere.....

Once they get to 2 weeks old, they'll be fine without the pebbles/marbles/rocks

 

[Fancy_Feathers]

I would suggest putting marbles or something that size in the waterer. Those little thing will fall asleep anywhere.....

Agreed. I put little pebbles so they don't drown..

Thanks for the suggestions! I will make sure to do that so my chicks won't drown- I am hoping I won't loose any chicks!

 

[All4Eggz]

Thanks for the suggestions! I will make sure to do that so my chicks won't drown- I am hoping I won't loose any chicks!

Good luck!

 

[WhySayWhat]

They'll find the feed, I don't worry about even showing it to them. Show some of them the water (I had to change to a more traditional waterer as mine just don't "get" the nipples I have set up), after the first few know where the water is, the rest will follow.

As for bedding, I covered the pine shavings with bed wetting pads for the first week because the chicks were driving me crazy eating (and pooping out) tiny pieces of bedding. At a week old, I took out the pads (changed daily), but it's not a required step.

 

[Tilhana]

You can also get a nipple waterer if you're concerned about them drowning. If you already have a water dish that's fairly shallow then putting rocks in should be fine. I prefer the nipple waterers because chicks are really messy and will fill the waterer with bedding and even poop in it, so it just helps keep the mess down and the water clean. But for those you do want to touch their beaks to it to show them how it works. And I think as long as a few of them get it the rest will copy.

If you do use a dish waterer, you can reduce mess by putting it and the food dish on a low platform, just an inch or so above the bedding, so that they can jump up on it. Ideally something made with wire mesh so that the bedding can fall through the holes when they jump up, but any platform will reduce how much bedding they can track in.

Also, don't forget to give them grit. Chick grit needs to be finer than the kind used for adult chickens - you can buy it or depending on where you live you might be able to just collect some sand from a stream bed or elsewhere.

 

[Banana01]

Tapping the back of their head when they are standing over their food or water usually works for mine.

 

[kimdk]

I also put “wee wee pads” in brooder for first 3-4 days. Dipping their beak in water is most important when you get them. They will figure the food thing out as soon as they get hungry. I sprinkle the food all around the wee wee pads. They are pretty smart for little buggers. Good luck.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

my chicks learnt by me (or a stuffed bird toy) tapping the bowl of food, it sounds like pecking so the chicks will learn to eat.
I first taught them with bread crumbs since they are easier for hatchlings to swallow