Picky eaters

[Morgaine]

Does anyone else have chicks that are picky eaters? I've been giving them treats, trying to tame them and get them used to me and hands. Well they just don't eat them! So far the only thing they like is june bugs.

I've tried the following:
Yogurt, onlt five or six of them eat it
Rice, cooked. None of them liked it.
Peas and carrots, cooked no salt. Picked at it some but didn't really eat it.
Oatmeal cooked. Didn'y eat it either.
Earth worms, nope scared of them
Crickets, same as the earth worms

Any other suggestions? We've had a cold snap so the june bugs are gone.

 

[CUDA]

I don't give chicks treats. Try putting some starter in your hand, as that is what they are used to anyway.

 

[Fredster]

My batches of chicks have always loved grits, cream of wheat, and Gerber baby food (mixed grain, usually) flakes --- all uncooked. It only takes a couple of days to get them eating out of my hand.

 

[mandomama]

Mine go crazy for steamed broccoli. The didnt like scambled eggs though.

 

[Poison Ivy]

My ameraucana's are like that and drive me insane. I can put feed out in the feeder and they scatter it out on the ground were it stays. I have more feed on the ground then in the feeder. I have even skipped a day on feeding them so they will eat the spilled food. Nope they won't touch it at all. They get layer crumbles,oats & black oil sunflower seeds. I had to rake the pen out the other day to clean it up. Pretty soon I'm just going to start giving them layer and that's it. Why waste the other stuff on them.

 

[Morgaine]

Oh yeah, forgot the scambled eggs too. They didn't like that, although the ducks did. I guess chicks have personal preferences just like people.

 

[raindrop]

How old are your chicks? They seem to get more adventurous as they get older. Mine are 2 weeks old and I am just starting to give treats other than starter crumbles and a little grit. I usually start with small amounts of cut up grass, broccoli to peck at to keep themselves entertained, a little yogurt. I don't like to dilute the balanced nutrition of the chick starter until they are a couple weeks old and well-started.

 

[speckledhen]

I don't give chicks treats. Try putting some starter in your hand, as that is what they are used to anyway.

Pretty much what he said. I've never had a chick that was a picky eater, probably because I dont feed treats. The only thing besides their chick starter they ever get till they're at least two months old or older is chopped hardboiled eggs. Then they may get a few tablespoons of yogurt mixed in for digestion. Never really could understand why people feed them so many things which bring the protein levels down.​