I think my chicks hate me and my yogurt!

[Rustic Chicken]

Can I start mixing in fruit and vegetables now, or is it too early? Worried mama, worried mama... This is probably why I shouldn't have children, they would have to live in a bubble.

 

[MomMommyMamma]

We too have found that making a cup/egg shape over the chick in your hands makes them snuggle in and close their eyes. This works best with our 1 wk chicks, the nearly 4 wk chicks are a little more fidgety now.

 

[casumm]

Quote:
gryeyes... I LOVED the story you posted on another thread about the rampaging monster peas. I've heard that anything round is simply terrifying and to be avoided at all costs, in chick eyes at least. We will have to try the cheese! My son certainly enjoys playing with string cheese more than eating it, looks like the chicks may end up with his leftovers this afternoon.

-chris

 

[organicchef]

What did I ever do before Zip Ties????

 

[Rustic Chicken]

I wish I had invented the zip tie!

 

[SB Austex]

A lot of things I give them, they are initially quite suspicious of (6 now at 6 weeks and 2 @8 weeks). I don't think I gave them any treats until 4 weeks (for fear of the dreaded 'pasty butt'). But when I did, I had it in a small dish, which I tapped repeatedly with a fingertip/fingernail, like pecking. (Another aside: I quickly learned not to put it in the palm of my hand when they started seriously trying to eat the lines off the palm!) Now, they come running to see if I have any good stuff, but still are suspicious of the new things. Yogurt they initially hated how it stuck to their beaks and kept trying to wipe it off on the ground. Now they crowd around and drink it up!

They didn't go much for the beet greens I was putting on the ground, so I created 'fake' plants by stuffing in the bottom of a flower pot. I know this is spoiling them, but I figure they'll grow out of the suspiciousness soon enough.

'Big Dot' eyeing a tomato with great suspicion:

 

[write2caroline]

You have to remember that they are so small and we so big - from their perspective we are like godzilla or king kong and kind of scary. As for yogurt sprinkle a little crumbles on it and see - mine would not take it at first too - Now that those chicks are grown - THEY LOVE IT!!!! The babies take a while to learn about food. The batch in the brooder now I literally had to spread it on the walls of the plastic brooder and they pecked at it but would not touch it any other way. I really wanted them to eat it because I had some sick chicks at the time. I should have video taped it - performance art or something.

HAve fun
Caroline

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

Mine were like that too, try feeding them their chick feed out of your hand, and also when they get into their coop play with them a lot, and they should be friendly, mine did the same thing, so i stopped picking them up a lot until they were in their coop, and their very friendly now, even my rooster. They follow me around, and when i go to the coop they swarm me for food.

 

[noodleroo]

Here's a pic of mine; they are really tame. 6 weeks old and they love to be cuddled. They're too big to get in one hand now...

 

[chicknerd]

Quote:
I did similarly and my new chicks are learning from the older two that I am not so bad.

What I do with yogurt is put it on their beaks, while they are walking around the edge of the brooder. Just a bit. They soon start eating it and then go for the tip of my finger where I have more. They were at least 3 weeks old before they would do this. PRior to that they ran every time they saw me.