can I use cockatiel grit for 4 week old chicks?

[wahmommy]

We started feeding them mealy worms, and I haven't started feeding them grit yet. I have some cockatiel grit but I don't know if I should have purchased parakeet grit (size of grit). Also, since they've been getting mealy worms (unfortunately probably too many cause my kids love feeding them to them) I didn't give them any grit, although I did let them scratch in the dirt a over the weekend... but I have noticed they are pooping less than they were just on the chicken starter crumble. I hope I didn't hurt them by not giving them grit yet... the feed store I bought them from said I didn't need it to feed them mealy worms, but this board says different. I shouldn't trust this feed store anyway, they don't seem to know a lot about chickens..

Anyway, should I be feeding parakeet size or cockatiel size grit at this point? The store didn't carry chicken grit..

 

[acid_chipmunk]

I don't think you can feed either one of those to chickens. I know parakeet grit has calcium in it and baby chicks can't have that. Not sure about the cockateil grit though.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

If it was just a couple of bugs or something, I wouldn't worry about grit. But since you indicated that you were feeding them quite a few meal worms, it seems that chick grit is in order. Is there a feed store anywhere near you? Acid_Chipmunk is correct. Parakeet grit has calcium in it which is contraindicated for chicks. I don't know either what is in cockateil grit.

 

[NonnasBabies]

I'm not sure what it says on the box but when mine were little I got it from Wal-Mart!!

Missi

 

[cpegram]

I used the parakeet grit on my chickens since they were about 5-8 weeks old I never had a problem....after that they were outside i didn't need it