Can I Give Chicks Play Sand as Grit?

[llombardo]

I sure hope so because I bought mine a sandbox for the enclosure. Will they use it for grit and dust baths?

 

[azygous]

I have sand as substrate in both of my coops and in the runs. My chickens use it for grit and love to dirt bathe in it. They have a huge window facing south in winter that warms the sand. You should see the blissed out twerps lolling in the sand soaking up the sun while it's 30 outside. You'd think they had themselves a spa.

 

[Debbiek2]

So I don’t need to give grit unless I’m feeding them treats and not lutting them outdoors. We are in the middle of our first trip. Do I have to sterilize the sand? If they eat it? The ground isn’t sterilized.

 

[azygous]

Play sand is too fine and too high in silica to use with chickens. Try construction sand.

It isn't required that you supply grit to chicks, but it doesn't hurt to do it.