Chook Me!

why won't my chicks forage?!?

I have 6 chicks (3 orpingtons, 2 americaunas, 1 kuku marans) about 2.5 months old. They've grown up in a pen in my basement, and since they have all their feathers and the weather is warm/mild, I've let them outside during the day for about a week now. They peck and scratch a bit outside - one even ate a spider today! - but for the most part, they just hang out all day. When I take them back to their home in the basement they attack the feed like they've been starving all day. I've tried scattering feed during the day to get them thinking about foraging, but it seems like they just concentrate on the feed and not the bigger picture of searching for food. Am I expecting too much of them at this point? Also a factor is that our Brittney Spaniel herds the chickens. *sigh* He does not hurt them, but he likes them to be all together. I've put him in the house for hours at a time, and when I check on the chicks they are usually all hanging out together as if he's still there. They seem fine with him being around; I've seen them go toward him if he's in the way of where they want to go and he shies away from them and lets them pass. I've never had chickens before, so I have no good feeling for what is "normal" and what isn't. They are quite docile and won't usually run from me. They have trained themselves (ha!) to gather around the pet carrier in the evenings, ready to head back to the basement. I can't complain about their behavior at all, except I feel like they shouldn't act like they're starving when they get to the feeder. Oh, and I feed them fruit scraps; they love oranges and watermelon. So I know they realize that other things qualify as food . . . Well, I could write all day about my chickens, but I'll just say thanks in advance to anyone who has suggestions. Oh, and the reason they're in the basement is because we are so rural we have bears, foxes, raccoons, and every other sort of predator, and I don't think my coop is predator proof yet. Thanks! Lora

Public Comments

1. Your chicks are still young, it will take them some time to learn to forage or free range on their own. Since they also had no mother hen to show them the ropes they will have to learn it on their own. Part of the reason they may not have foraged too far is because of the dog. They may be afraid to move too far thinking the dog will return and attack them. never leave your dog with the chicks unattended. Even those most well behaved and well trained dog will succumb to temptation and you may end up with no chicks. I would make sure they have feed available to them even when they are outside That way they will not get too hungry. Also make sure they have water available. Will they be getting their own hen house? If so that will be very good for them. They will learn to go into the coop at night and go out during the day.