How do I teach new chicks to eat from feeder

[Mcook512]

I just got 4 baby chicks on the 3rd of July from a hatchery. They are tiny and couldn’t be more than a day old. They are drinking good, but will only eat from food sprinkled on the floor of the brooder. How do I get them to eat from the feeder? I stick their little beaks in and they go right back to pecking the floor. I tried putting the feeder on top of where I sprinkled some food. They just peck around the feeder. My other set of babies picked it up immediately. I don’t want them to starve, but I don’t want to keep putting food in the floor of the brooder. Am I just being over paranoid? Will they eventually get hungry and figure it out? Thanks for any advise.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Keep sprinkling until they are using the feeder.

Remember, feeders are not found in nature. Instinct tells them food is on the ground.
They will find the feeder soon. Just gotta be patient.

 

[Chickassan]

Try slowly dropping food into the feeder in front of them, movement is a big attention getter.
Tap the feeder with your finger, heck stick it in there and make the food move.

 

[paneubert]

They are not hungry and are living off their recently absorbed egg yolk. They are good to go for 3-4 days with no food when born. So as long as they are drinking and aren't looking like they are getting weak or sluggish, all is ok.