Why don't my chicks know that i am giving them treats?

[momofthree]

i tossed in some strawberries we harvested that some birds had pecked holes in, or were a bit over ripe.....and my chicks just walked right on passed! i even picked up a few chicks and showed them the berry and sorta helped them poke their beak into it and NOTHING

They are 4-5 weeks now. They already chase a lizard that likes to play cat and mouse with them in their run, if a june bug buzzes around, they run around after that and they love worms...............any chance they will end up liking the treats i bring them?

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
You bet, it's all a matter of one brave one having the nerve to try something, then the rest will follow. It's all a matter of learning.

 

[my3jsons]

Keep trying. Ours were that way at first. Now they eat whatever we throw at them and love it. If I go out there without a treat they kind of look at me like, "Well, where is it?"

 

[chicknerd]

I had the same issue. It took several tries of me giving them something by hand before one brave one did and the others quickly followed. They were about the same age as yours. Eventually they came to learn that when I came in I may have a treat and they always look expectantly now. They are almost nine weeks old now.

 

[elmo]

In the natural order of things, the hen shows her chicks what to eat. She picks up the food in her beak, drops it down for them and makes a special "come eat this, this is good!" clucking sound. Believe me, when the chicks hear that cluck, they come running and dive in.

Without a hen to teach them, chicks are more reticent about trying new things, but they will do it eventually. As the other commenter noted, it only takes one brave chick to get the others started.

 

[ScratchesWithChickens]

Quote:
I actually bok bok at the chicks that I hatch when showing them food by pecking with my finger. It really works! I just pray that my neighbors don't catch me doing it!