I don't have chick grit. Can they have grass?

[jbly2014]

I forgot to get chick grit at the store but I want to give my chicks some grass. Someone told me I can give them dirt and they'll find grit in it. Is that true?

And what kind of grass do they like? We have lots of clover, onion grass and dandilons.

Edited to add: They're around a week old. Maybe a little older

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I wouldn't give them grass at one week old. Maybe just a few pieces a centimeter long for a taste would be okay, but you don't want long pieces of grass getting tangled and stuck in their tiny crops. Even with grit or coarse sand for them to eat, I would careful about grass. Even adult chickens who eat too much long grass and have plenty of grit can have problems.

 

[jbly2014]

How old do they have to be to have grass and things? Can they have the millet sprays for birds?

 

[scratch'n'peck]

How old do they have to be to have grass and things? Can they have the millet sprays for birds?

There are probably differences of opinion on this. When they are a few weeks old and have some grit in their diet, then they could have some supervised time in a limited space outside on the grass. With their little beaks, they wont peck and eat too long pieces of grass typically. What you should NOT do is give the little chicks a bunch of loose grass (even just an inch long) in their brooder, just in case they gobble it up and it gets stuck in their little crops.

Millet seeds are less risky. Just remember these are just treats. Their chick starter gives them a balanced diet with enough protein and should make up at least 90% of their diet.

 

[blucoondawg]

Chicks who are brooded by a hen "free range" with the hen from the minute they leave the nest, they start finding grit and eating whatever they can get, bugs, weeds, whatever. I would maybe get some sand or very fine stones and sprinkle over their chick feed like you are salting it, you don't want to put a bowl of grit in there and have them be dumb and gorge themselves on it and leave no room for food and starve. I would probably stick to giving them a little bit of clover at first rather than grass as loose grass can cause problems as they cannot break small pieces off like they can when it is growing in the ground and can cause crop impaction.

Doing this is completely optional at this point, they get all they need from chick starter and can eat it without consuming grit, I personally don't bother with giving the chicks anything other than chick starter until they get out of the brooder.

 

[debid]

I brood outdoors so chicks get small grit at just a couple days old so they can digest the insects they catch (heat lamp = evening bug feeding frenzy). Never have I had a chick want to eat green stuff at that age. They seem to instinctively know that they need protein and lots of it. Yet, they all eat greens eventually. You don't have to teach them to have a taste for grass the way you might feed a baby mashed peas to get them used to veggies. So, why risk it? Wait until they have their grit before you play at offering other foods.

BTW, I put the grit in free choice in a cup. They go nuts the first day to load their gizzard and then ignore it for weeks. Never had one overindulge on rocks.

 

[jbly2014]

Thanks everyone. I guess I'll wait. They just seem bored. I have them in a baby pool right now but I have a bigger brooder in the garage. I'm waiting to move them out there until I get a few more chicks.

 

[debid]

You can give them some perches and a mirror if you want things for them to explore.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I have seen people recommend putting a pie tin in the brooder for then to peck for fun. The sound might drive you crazy, and it might only keep them entertained for a short while, but it might be worth a try.

 

[alibabba]

what happens if you take them outside, they will eat grass correct? Do they instictively just the ends?