3 week old chicks and sand

[theoregonclucks]

Hi! We just joined this wonderful forum. On March 9th, my mom and I got our first babies. Thanks to all of you and the excellent information on this site, everything has been going really well for us. One question though, I would like to give them a bit of sand, for grit and entertainment (bathing, scratching, etc.) and have read several posts about it needing to be clean. I found "washed sand" by Whitney Farms for horticultural uses, but it does not list the ingredients. Someone mentioned on here about making sure it did not contain asbestiform tremolite or crystalline silica, as play sand might. I called the company and they assured it would not harm chickens, but could not tell me what was in it. What are your opinions?

 

[theoregonclucks]

Yes, I'm replying to my own post. Hadn't gotten any answers, and being new at this, thot maybe I'd done something wrong. Probally just need to learn some patience...

 

[ZykloniaDark-GothikRanchr]

I don't know if I would use it. If you really want them to have sand, you can go out to an aquarium store and get the kind they sell for fish tanks, that kind doesn't have bad stuff in it, it is usually just cleaned and sterilized beach sand!! It isn't really expensive, and it is probably safer!

 

[GwenFarms]

The truth is that I don't think you need special sand, unless you live in a very urban area, or have been using pesticides, such as ant killer around your property. I would just scoop some out of my driveway, put it in a little box and let them go at it. Mine are nearing this age and I feel that its now safe for them to have some. This is what I'll be doing. I can't see buying special "clean" sand. When they are in the yard, they will be pecking and eating out of yard sand, so they may as well start getting use to it.

 

[theoregonclucks]

Thank you both, I appreciate your replies! Since I don't have any sand (just mud!) on my driveway perhaps I'll check out the fish store. Any other suggestions for easing the boredom of 6 chicks in a box? They are starting to explore (i.e. fly out of the box-so I put a screen on top) so I suspect they are bored!

 

[countyroad1330]

Ya, I was wondering who would have sand in their driveway. We've got nothing but hard red clay around here.

I've never thought to give mine sand, but when they start feathering out they do bathe in the bedding.

Oh and WELCOME to the board!