Baby Chick Grit Substitute?

[dbounds10]

Quote:
Parakeet grit has calcium in it and should not be given to chicks, the extra calcium can casue kidney damage and stunted growth, I would go with play sand or plain old dirt from outside.

I only give grit on treat days (meal worms or small crickets). Otherwise they dont need it.

Good Luck

 

[renaenae]

I have some baby chicks that are 8 days old. We've been giving them a little bit of chick grit when we give them treats. I only put a tiny bit in a terra cotta saucer i have. they eat it up! for twelve chicks i prob only use 1 or 2 tsp full. they never eat even half of it, but they have it just in case. I take it out once they've seemed to lose interest in it. We've just started giving them "treats" aka meal worms. It is quite a site. good luck..

 

[SGTdebo305]

If I feed them vegetables, watermelon and other natural stuff, do they need grit? What if I have sand in there for them?

 

[LittleMissCountry]

Sand will work well for grit.

 

[SGTdebo305]

Do you mix it in with their food or have it apart or on the ground?

 

[Northern.Ontario]

Do you mix it in with their food or have it apart or on the ground?

I kept my chick grit in a separate dish. Now my Cornish cross are outside and have access to a lot of sand and gravel so I don't need grit anymore.

 

[LittleMissCountry]

Do you mix it in with their food or have it apart or on the ground?

Keep it separate and they will take it as needed

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I have some babies coming next week and feel all prepared except for Baby Chick grit. My local feed store does not carry it. I have seen several suggestions while browsing the forum but wonder if there is a consensus opinion? Any help would be appreciated.

Right now I'm using Canary grit that I got at the pet store.

Problem solved.

Now if you want some real entertainment, before feeding them their first morsel put a tablespoon full of the grit on a paper plate and set the plate in the brooder. If your chicks have the will to live they will all soon be standing in the middle of the paper plate scratching and shuffling the grit around like fiends while choosing to eat the choices pieces. So so cute.

 

[3riverschick]

Here is a research article I wrote a while back on Grit. Especially Posts 1-4.
Note the grit feeding instructions on the second page of the PDF listed in
Post number 4.
The Science Of Feeding Grit To Poultry
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...feeding-grit-to-poultry.891051/#post-13560662
Best,
Karen and the Light Sussex in western PA