2 week old chicks and grit and dust

[AlanaIRL]

I have six chicks that are two weeks old and two chicks that are about five days younger all in the Bruder together. At what point do I start giving them grit? I put some down but they don’t seem to be interested. Will they eat it whenever they need it? Do I have to introduce it? Should I put it in their food? All of these threads say about 1 million different things so I just wanted to ask. I would like to start giving them other food sometimes to train them to come to me, but I don’t want to risk them getting sick. These are my first chicks. Also, do they need dust? If so, what should I use at this age? Thank you I really love this forum.

 

[Perris]

If you have a garden/yard with grass or weeds growing in it, cut a small block, including some of the dirt the greenery is growing in, and put it into the brooder. The chicks will explore it in their own time, and find suitable grit for themselves, and sample the other natural foodstuffs to be found there (flora, fauna, and funga). They will in the process get a small and beneficial exposure to some of the pathogens in your environment (every environment has some) so they can start to develop immunities, before you put them outside and they get fully exposed. As it dries out it will serve as a dustbath for them too.