Helping a chick learn to eat

[LoganHaag]

So I let a hen hatch her own eggs, but one of them wasn't going to live, and despite what most people say, I helped it hatch. I've been nursing it to strength and now it's like a healthy chick. Now despite numerous efforts, it won't eat or drink out of a dish. I have to push her beak down for her to realize she needs to drink, but I cant do that with food.

Tl;dr:I need to teach a few day old chick how to eat and drink from a dish

 

[JaeG]

It won't need food until it's a few days old but it should start to try. Initially you can put paper towels down in the brooder and sprinkle food everywhere so that wherever the chick pecks it will find food. In a few days it should find the food bowl. You can try tapping the food and making a sound like the mother hen does when she's found something tasty for her babies.

I would've helped too - I always give them a chance.

You could try popping the chick under the mother hen at night and seeing if she'll accept it. That way it won't grow up alone. Otherwise could you buy a couple of other chicks as buddies?

 

[LoganHaag]

It won't need food until it's a few days old but it should start to try. Initially you can put paper towels down in the brooder and sprinkle food everywhere so that wherever the chick pecks it will find food. In a few days it should find the food bowl. You can try tapping the food and making a sound like the mother hen does when she's found something tasty for her babies.

I would've helped too - I always give them a chance.

You could try popping the chick under the mother hen at night and seeing if she'll accept it. That way it won't grow up alone. Otherwise could you buy a couple of other chicks as buddies?

So I actually got it to eat! It had started to drink on its own a day before it knew how to peck for food, and I did the tapping method. The plan was to put the chick back under the mom, and so I did and she accepted her very quickly. She's doing great now.

 

[Lilmermaid9109]

So I let a hen hatch her own eggs, but one of them wasn't going to live, and despite what most people say, I helped it hatch. I've been nursing it to strength and now it's like a healthy chick. Now despite numerous efforts, it won't eat or drink out of a dish. I have to push her beak down for her to realize she needs to drink, but I cant do that with food.

Tl;dr:I need to teach a few day old chick how to eat and drink from a dish

Be very careful dipping their beaks in water. They can inhale some of it and struggle to breathe, or drown.

 

[theoldchick]

So I actually got it to eat! It had started to drink on its own a day before it knew how to peck for food, and I did the tapping method. The plan was to put the chick back under the mom, and so I did and she accepted her very quickly. She's doing great now.