Food on Brooder Floor

[chickachee]

Is it all right to have my (approximately) 3 week old chicks eat food off the floor of their brooder? I just got some day olds and moved these guys into a bigger brooder. There are fresh pine shavings on the floor, but they made such a mess with their food that most of it is on the floor. Can I just take the food container out of the brooder when it's empty and see if they will eat off the floor? I don't want to stress them out, but wondered if anyone else had done this. I was thinking of putting some meal worms on top of the food on the floor to tempt them, but these four just turn up their beaks at them (maybe they are aliens??).

I have only one PVC feeder at the present and that's in with the small ones, but as soon as hubby gets back from his fishing trip he will be pressed into service to make another feeder!

Thanks for any info.
Sheila

 

[Fred's Hens]

I find this helps, perhaps it will help you.

Place the feeder inside a lid, from a cardboard box. A large lid. Something akin to 14" x 20". Many check out areas of discount houses, stores and warehouse clubs have stacks of these flat box lids, free for the taking.

With 1" or 2" sides? Perfect. The little chicks hop right in and out. Not a problem. That way, what gets kicked from the feeder is on the cardboard box lid and they like eating from there just as well or better than the feeder anyhow. Make them clean up before pouring a ton more feed into the feeder. They'll do it.