how to get my chicks to try new foods.

[juliefurry03]

So my chicks are 5 weeks and 6 weeks old. I've been trying to offer them new foods/treats and their just not having it. They like when I throw handfuls of fresh grass in their run along with some organic romaine I'm growing. So I gave them cucumber skins and cucumber slices and they wouldn't touch them. I got the dried mealworms that they go crazy for I gave them organic strawberries and they snubbed their beaks and I tried watermelon and I swear they gave me the finger...

Will they eventually want to try new foods? What can I do to get them interested?

 

[donrae]

This can be a hard thing when you have brooder chicks. Momma hen usually teaches chicks what is good to eat and what isn't, and these little guys don't have that instruction. I believe they tend to err on the side of not eating something in the event it may be poisonous, etc. I mean, they just don't know.

When they're littles, I tap the feeder and make high pitched "chickchickchick" sounds, mimicing a momma hen. Mommas get so excited when they find something to eat! and I try to make that same excited sound, to trigger the chicks to come try the food. Brooder chicks don't always respond as they've not been raised with a momma, and in those cases you usually just need to wait. They tend to get bolder as they get older.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Yes, it can take a while when there isn't a hen around. I've noticed they seem to eat lots more foods once they reach about 6 weeks.

 

[ShockValue]

I have the same issue. My chickens are a little bolder now (about 12 weeks) but there are still foods that are supposedly exciting for them but they still seem uninterested.

I've found that they've learned that if it comes from my fingers it's more likely a treat.. The other night we threw an ear of corn out in front of them which they promptly eyed with suspicion, and then ignored.

Later I picked it up, took off a couple of kernels and offered it in my palm.. Ike and Patty gave it a try, and then they all went ape and cleaned the cob bare in a matter of minutes.

Silly chickens.

 

[juliefurry03]

Well today they FINALLY tried strawberries and decided they weren't poisonous. I'm just going to keep offering them things maybe they will eventually try more things.

 

[yyz0yyz0]

Here's a thought:

Try some yogurt, if you can get them to like yogurt then you can put yogurt on any new treats as a way to get them started pecking at it. Mine loved yogurt from almost the first day I brought them home. In the beginning I just wiped the container with me finger and let them eat it off my finger. That had to stop as soon as they got big enough to start causing discomfort to the finger. ;-)

 

[bigmrg74]

Well today they FINALLY tried strawberries and decided they weren't poisonous. I'm just going to keep offering them things maybe they will eventually try more things.

That seems to be what's works with my girls. Just offer them stuff to try out, and sooner or later they'll get to liking it. I offered them a couple of little apricots today and they went to town on them. like a pack of velocoraptors.

 

[juliefurry03]

I tried a plum yesterday, cut up, and they loved it. Figures as soon as I ask this they start eating stuff .