Baby chicks won’t eat much or drink

[Ellcrabb2203]

Hey everyone! This is my first post. I picked my chicks up yesterday, they had been born earlier that morning. I got them home and they seem happy but I can’t get them to drink anything! They’re eating a couple crumbs everything 6 or so hours that are laid out on a paper towel near the feeder and my water drinker is next to it however I haven’t seen them use it once! I’ve seen that I should try a shallow bowl with marbles in? Any help would be appreciated!

 

[nao57]

Some people say it helps to dip their beaks in it at first. And the rocks or marbles in the water idea is good to keep them from drowning in it.

By any chance did you have other types of fowl that you are comparing to?

For me I had something similar to you because I'm used to ducklings and ducklings are more obvious than chicks in a lot of behaviors and eat and drink more.

I hope some of the others post because they are more experience than me.

 

[Ellcrabb2203]

Some people say it helps to dip their beaks in it at first. And the rocks or marbles in the water idea is good to keep them from drowning in it.

By any chance did you have other types of fowl that you are comparing to?

For me I had something similar to you because I'm used to ducklings and ducklings are more obvious than chicks in a lot of behaviors and eat and drink more.

I hope some of the others post because they are more experience than me.

Thank you for your reply! I have dipped their beaks in it a couple times but they still haven’t seemed to take any interest in it. This is my first time raising chicks so I’m at a loss ahaha

 

[abpatchy]

If they just hatched then they won't eat or drink much yet. They still have the yolk that they are living off. Give them a day or two and they will start eating and drinking. If they are active and not looking sick you shouldn't worry.

 

[NatJ]

I’ve seen that I should try a shallow bowl with marbles in?

You don't need a different bowl, but you can put marbles in the trough of your waterer if you want. Marbles help keep the chicks from drowning (because they fill part of the space.) Marbles also help the chicks find the water, because the marbles look shiny and the chicks peck at them (and they get a sample of water each time they peck at the marbles.)

As long as the lip of the water trough is no higher than the backs of the chicks (so they can reach it), then they will probably be fine--they usually get the eating and drinking figured out over a several day period, and they don't really need to eat or drink for the first few days after hatching, because they are still absorbing the yolk from their eggs.