How can I stop my chicks from trying to peck and eat the sand in the brooder

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Person1234

Person1234

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I just put a fresh bedding of sand in the brooder and the chicks keep pecking at the small parts Ive read that if they eat too much sand they can start to have problems what do I do about this I'm afraid they will eat too much of it . Thank you
 
You can cover the sand up with paper towels for a few days. But I don't think they'll eat that much.
Are they day olds?
 
Unless they're consuming massive amounts of it and not eating their regular feed, I'd have to agree with the above post and say not to worry to much about it. They're probably just being chicks and chicks are inquisitive. If it bothers them (or you) too much, you can always change it out with something else.
 
Ok thank you and also they are about four weeks old
 
At that age they are getting pretty big and are probably getting pretty bored in a brooder. So scratching and pecking through sand is at least some entertainment for them. They'll eat some but I doubt, at that age, that they'll over do it. I'd get them out in a pen during the daytime at least. They are probably fine to move into a coop by now.
 
Hi
frow.gif

They are getting older why don't you get them some grit. Ask your feed store which size is appropriate.
Sand is too small for them. It will just pass on thru the digestive system. Classic chick grit ( 1 thru 3 weeks )
is too small for them too. There is a next size ( 4 thru 7 weeks ) which is inbetween chick and adult grit
( 8 weeks thru adult). I believe Gran-I-grit ( made and sold by North Carolina Granite Co.) calls
chick grit "starter", the in-between size "grower" , the adult size "developer". The idea behind feeding poultry
the proper size grit at the proper times as they grow is to help them grow a healthier and larger gizzard.
When the females are grown, this better gizzard helps them do a better job processing the food for digestion.
This can result in up to a 20% increase in egg prdution.
Best,
Karen and the Light Sussex
in western PA, USA
 
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