New chicks don't recognize real food?

[alpinewelsummer]

I purchased a batch of chicks yesterday that were, until this point, raised on commercial chick feed. I like to start my birds on real food from the start--scrambled eggs, mashed up peas, ect. But I always run into the problem of chicks stomping right over the food and screaming in hunger the first few days because they don't recognize what they've been given.

Does anyone else experience this issue and is there anything I can do to help them? I know they'll come around eventually but those first few days always worry me.

 

[DobieLover]

I purchased a batch of chicks yesterday that were, until this point, raised on commercial chick feed. I like to start my birds on real food from the start--scrambled eggs, mashed up peas, ect. But I always run into the problem of chicks stomping right over the food and screaming in hunger the first few days because they don't recognize what they've been given.

Does anyone else experience this issue and is there anything I can do to help them? I know they'll come around eventually but those first few days always worry me.

Are you still offering them a commercial chick starter?

 

[BlueBaby]

Maybe you could sprinkle some chick feed over the top of it?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Their primary source of food should be their chick crumble. I offer my chicks from around 2 weeks of age, plain scrambled eggs as a treat maybe once a week. It does take them awhile to realize it is edible.

 

[Bonnieboo]

I remember the first time I offered my four week old chicks a cobb of corn. The hens all went wild for it but the chicks had NO idea and walked sadly away, knowing it was probably food but no idea how to eat it!!