Introducing snacks to the chicks

[DroolBubbles]

I have been trying to introduce some snacks to our chicks, 3 three week olds and a two week old. I wanted it to be fun and help the chicks bond with my family. But they don't seem interested in anything but regular food. I can't imagine meal worms being anything less then the greatest thing ever and my chicks would take one peck, get a taste and go away. All of them have tasted the bug and ignored it. Even a few on the ground wiggling didn't entice them. Last night we tried yogurt. I put some on my finger and got one chick to try it out, she promptly cleaned her beak on my pants and ran off. I also put a dab in my hand and covered it with chick feed. All four tasted it, shook their head violently, cleaned their beak, and avoided further contact. Any ideas? What has worked for you?

 

[chickmom1304]

Have you tried worms from the garden? Mine love them. They are 2 1/2 weeks old and they go crazy over meal worms too. I found that if one is brave enough to try something new, the others will follow and then let the games begin! I just put the food in my palm, unless it's a live worm, yuk, my husband does this one, and they come running! Good luck.

 

[GSDBESTK9]

Mine were the same way, I started giving them dry worms from TS and they ignored them. I was shocked since I've always been told they LOVE worms.

Then I tried rice and wheat bred and got the same reaction. But I left it in the box and when I came back, it was all gone. I think they need time to get used to new things???

 

[RonC]

Mine are 7 weeks and do the same thing. I can offer a handful dried mealworms and they acted like the mealies were going to attack them. If I throw them in the run they do disapperar eventually. Don't know if they eat them or bury them. Offered them some rice with peas and carrots in it and they left the rice. Raw oats they do love if I feed them from my hand, sprinkled in the run they just get trampled. They do love to free range in the yard and eat bugs, grass and leaves but only pick at worms they find. Guess they each have a taste of their own.

 

[therifleman]

Good moring,
I have noticed chicks seem to be slow on change. The first slice of white bread i gave just turned to toast. Now they will kill a slice in about a minute. Just give them some time. My chicks love left over bisuits and corn bread. I crumble them up with hands and put it in pie pan. It is amazing to watch how fast it disappears.
Chris

 

[eapowell]

My babies won't eat bugs. They stalk beetles outside but won't touch them. I've noticed my oldest eating small worms he finds in the dirt, but he found a caterpillar this morning and wouldn't touch it. Am I right in assuming if they clean their beak off by rubbing it on the ground or whatever is closest, that they don't like whatever they ate?

 

[curiositykt]

My 9 day old chicks will eat yogurt, provided I'm not watching. They also ate a hardboiled egg, but not while I was there. I have to leave a little dish and come back in a few hours. They have no interest in the baby cake. And I can only get them to eat chick crumbles out of my hand. They got to experience grass last night and were sort of curiously pecking at things (at one point chicken poop!) but not really eating.

 

[GSDBESTK9]

Mine seem to LOVE the wheat bred, they go crazy with it. But not so much with the dried worms from TS.

 

[FenDruadin]

All my birds (ducks, quail, chickens) go crazy over wild bird seed, especially the small grains (millet, etc.). I buy it in fifty pound bags and toss it to them every morning and they learn quick to come running when they see me. For chicks, I put it in the palm of my hand and hold it out and they come running. Bonus: Wild birds learn pretty quick too, and as soon as the flock is done, they swoop in and clean up any remainders. I get Carolina wrens, various finches, and Northern cardinals come after the leftover seed, among others. Plus, it feels like a healthier treat than bread which contains all kinds of unhealthy ingredients (hydrogenated oil and sugar and corn syrup and artificial flavorings, etc.).

On a side note: DON'T buy anything by Scotts. They recently pled guilty in a court of law to having deliberately poisoned seed that was sold as wild bird food because the toxins they coated the seed in protected it while in storage... nevermind that it would also kill the birds it was intended to feed. I don't trust ANYTHING by Scotts, even if it's labeled "organic." They've proven they can't be trusted. Also, Miracle-Gro is owned by Scotts, so I avoid that label too (even when it says "organic"). Okay. Down off my soap box now. Just, don't buy anything by Scotts, K?

 

[Chicky Babe]

When you give them wheat bread, do you give them a complete slice or would I need to crumble it up?