Did I accidentally scare my baby chicks by giving them a grasshopper?

[Xadok]

I have 7 chicks from rural king and they have been here for about a week. They have an average sized brooder with a heat lamp, food, water, chick grit, and a toy for chicks with 4 perches. I have been catching bugs like little moths and grasshoppers for them because I thought it's enriching for them to run after and eat live bugs. Last night I found a big grasshopper and gave it to them because I don't think they bite or have any way of hurting the chicks. The chicks played with it for a while but wouldn't eat it so I cut the grasshopper with scissors into smaller pieces and they ate it. I also have younger siblings who kept accidentally pushing the brooder, I told them to stop several times but they have a hard time sitting still, by the end of the night the chicks seemed more scared of us and would run to the corner. I'm unsure if it's just due to the pushing or if bigger bugs can scare chicks, but they are still acting the same way today. I would feel terrible if I tried to give them fun and accidentally made them think I was putting them in danger.

 

[sourland]

More likely it's the pushing/moving of the brooder. Approaching them from above also scares them.

 

[TheChickenGirl16]

No, you did not scare them with the grasshopper.
When a chick is raised by a mother hen, they eat bugs on day one.
If the chips are still acting stressed. It would definitely be the noise and jostling from your siblings.
You might want to get a parent involved to have your siblings calm down.
Then you can help the chicks by talking softly to them while putting your hand in there with some wet feed, meal worms, or even little pieces of grass. They should warm back up to you!

Welcome to BYC, by the way!

 

[ChickenChick46]

I have 7 chicks from rural king and they have been here for about a week. They have an average sized brooder with a heat lamp, food, water, chick grit, and a toy for chicks with 4 perches. I have been catching bugs like little moths and grasshoppers for them because I thought it's enriching for them to run after and eat live bugs. Last night I found a big grasshopper and gave it to them because I don't think they bite or have any way of hurting the chicks. The chicks played with it for a while but wouldn't eat it so I cut the grasshopper with scissors into smaller pieces and they ate it. I also have younger siblings who kept accidentally pushing the brooder, I told them to stop several times but they have a hard time sitting still, by the end of the night the chicks seemed more scared of us and would run to the corner. I'm unsure if it's just due to the pushing or if bigger bugs can scare chicks, but they are still acting the same way today. I would feel terrible if I tried to give them fun and accidentally made them think I was putting them in danger.

Mine are afraid of butterflies. It's a whole thing that involves screeching and running and flinging of shavings when one flies close to the run. They're 7 weeks old. So it could be that the big bug scared them. It might be the younger kids bumping the brooder. Or they might just be in a phase. I've got some 5 week olds that thought I was the devil for a while. Then all of a sudden, they decided they like me. I've got 3 week olds who liked me at first and then after I had to euthanize one of their brooder mates that was a FTT, they are scared of me too. I don't know if it's the brooder mate that disappeared or just coincidence in the timing that got them.

Either way, don't worry too much. Your chicks will probably come back around.

ETA- if these folks say it wasn't the bug, believe them. Lol, I'm very new to chickens, and they know more than I do. I know for a fact mine are afraid of butterflies, but if these folks don't think a grasshopper would scare them, they're likely correct.

 

[Xadok]

No, you did not scare them with the grasshopper.
When a chick is raised by a mother hen, they eat bugs on day one.
If the chips are still acting stressed. It would definitely be the noise and jostling from your siblings.
You might want to get a parent involved to have your siblings calm down.
Then you can help the chicks by talking softly to them while putting your hand in there with some wet feed, meal worms, or even little pieces of grass. They should warm back up to you!

Welcome to BYC, by the way!

Thank you, I will try harder to get my siblings to not move the brooder, they are just too excited around them.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Welcome to BYC! I agree with the others that it was due to the brooder being pushed. I've accidentally done it myself, and they DID NOT like it. Chickens are pretty resilient though. With some patience, they will bounce back and take to you. Enjoy your new babies!

 

[Xadok]

More likely it's the pushing/moving of the brooder. Approaching them from above also scares them.

Ok, thank you, I try to not surprise them from above but the brooder we have opens from the top because it was built out of a tote with a lid cut out so they don't fly out when they get bigger. Maybe we should have found a different way to build one.

 

[RoyalChick]

As the others have said - no way they were scared of the grasshopper even if it was too big for them to eat without your help.
If your siblings are jostling the brooder that is probably the issue. Like living through multiple earthquakes from the perspective of the chicks!
Maybe you can enroll an adult to help you teach the siblings about care for young vulnerable animals.
It sounds like you are doing a great job with them and welcome to BYC!

 

[Xadok]

Mine are afraid of butterflies. It's a whole thing that involves screeching and running and flinging of shavings when one flies close to the run. They're 7 weeks old. So it could be that the big bug scared them. It might be the younger kids bumping the brooder. Or they might just be in a phase. I've got some 5 week olds that thought I was the devil for a while. Then all of a sudden, they decided they like me. I've got 3 week olds who liked me at first and then after I had to euthanize one of their brooder mates that was a FTT, they are scared of me too. I don't know if it's the brooder mate that disappeared or just coincidence in the timing that got them.

Either way, don't worry too much. Your chicks will probably come back around.

Ok, thank you

 

[Xadok]

As the others have said - no way they were scared of the grasshopper even if it was too big for them to eat without your help.
If your siblings are jostling the brooder that is probably the issue. Like living through multiple earthquakes from the perspective of the chicks!
Maybe you can enroll an adult to help you teach the siblings about care for young vulnerable animals.
It sounds like you are doing a great job with them and welcome to BYC!

Thank you, I will try harder to get them to stop moving the brooder