3 month old chicks eating calcium grit?

[HappyClucker7]

I have two, 3 month old EE chicks that seem to be eating a lot of calcium grit. I put the grit out for my adult laying hens while they're on chick starter, but now I'm worried that the chicks are getting too much calcium. Is this a problem? What can I do to stop them from eating the grit?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I guess you are referring to crushed oyster shell, not grit.
I can't imagine them eating enough to be a problem.
All chickens need grit though, regardless of age.

 

[HappyClucker7]

I guess you are referring to crushed oyster shell, not grit.
I can't imagine them eating enough to be a problem.
All chickens need grit though, regardless of age.

Yes, I mean crushed oyster shells. It just says calcium grit on the bag, so that's what I call them.
If it's not a problem for them to eat it, then that's fine. It's just that I've never seen chicks that young eat the oyster shells.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wouldn't worry too much unless you see them at the OS dish all the time.
I've even seen roosters pecking at it occasionally. I just don't worry about it.

It is confusing. OS vs. grit.
I know a lot of old timers, professionals and like in your case, it is written on the bag.
That has always concerned me because it sends a confusing message to new poultry people.
IMO, they are two completely different things and those who know better should do a better job of differentiating between the two.
That ongoing conflation could make many think they are interchangeable.

Grit is small sharp, hard and insoluble stones like granite or flint that most species of birds need at all ages of life to aid in digestion.

Crushed oyster shell is about 95% calcium carbonate and should only be fed to birds actively building egg shells.
Oyster shell is soluble and serves no purpose as grit because it is mush by the time it gets to the gizzard.
I still wouldn't be overly concerned if I saw young birds pecking at it occasionally.
Depending on how close they are to sexual maturity, they may have the desire to pack some calcium into their medullary bones if onset of egg laying is near.

 

[HappyClucker7]

I wouldn't worry too much unless you see them at the OS dish all the time.
I've even seen roosters pecking at it occasionally. I just don't worry about it.

It is confusing. OS vs. grit.
I know a lot of old timers, professionals and like in your case, it is written on the bag.
That has always concerned me because it sends a confusing message to new poultry people.
IMO, they are two completely different things and those who know better should do a better job of differentiating between the two.
That ongoing conflation could make many think they are interchangeable.

Grit is small sharp, hard and insoluble stones like granite or flint that most species of birds need at all ages of life to aid in digestion.

Crushed oyster shell is about 95% calcium carbonate and should only be fed to birds actively building egg shells.
I still wouldn't be overly concerned if I saw young birds pecking at it occasionally.
Depending on how close they are to sexual maturity, they may have the desire to pack some calcium into their medullary bones if onset of egg laying is near.

Thank you! That was very helpful. I'll just keep my eye on them and make sure they aren't eating it excessively.

 

[aart]

Oyster shell is soluble and serves no purpose as grit because it is mush by the time it gets to the gizzard.

Didn't think it was that soluble....should last in there awhile.

 

[CHlCKEN]

I have two, 3 month old EE chicks that seem to be eating a lot of calcium grit. I put the grit out for my adult laying hens while they're on chick starter, but now I'm worried that the chicks are getting too much calcium. Is this a problem? What can I do to stop them from eating the grit?

I think you mean oyster shell, or just plain grit? All chicks and chickens need grit to break down food in their crops and gizzards. The grit acts as their teeth and grinds it all down. Don’t offer calcium based grit because this is bad for the chicks. Put your whole flock on growers feed, offer chick grit and regular non calcium supplemented grit, plus oyster shell. The birds will take what they need. The oyster shell is not grit, I think as said in a previous comment, it dissolves (not entirely just to the point where it is unable to do the job of grinding up food) once it reaches gizzard where it would have been doing the job of grinding up food like normal grit.

 

[NatJ]

I have two, 3 month old EE chicks that seem to be eating a lot of calcium grit. I put the grit out for my adult laying hens while they're on chick starter, but now I'm worried that the chicks are getting too much calcium. Is this a problem? What can I do to stop them from eating the grit?

Do they also have access to normal grit, with no calcium?

In general, if they have the right stuff available (chick starter, normal grit) they will not eat enough of the oyster shell/calcium to hurt themselves.

Even little chicks need some amount of calcium, just not as much as laying hens, so they might have decided they need a little more than the chick starter contains.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Do they also have access to normal grit, with no calcium?

In general, if they have the right stuff available (chick starter, normal grit) they will not eat enough of the oyster shell/calcium to hurt themselves.

Even little chicks need some amount of calcium, just not as much as laying hens, so they might have decided they need a little more than the chick starter contains.

It’s possible they are resorting to it as grit, if there is no real grit available. The chick starter/grower should contain enough calcium.

 

[HappyClucker7]

They have access to regular grit. They are also always outside, so they can scratch in the dirt and eat little pebbles that way.