Can I use sand as grit?

[~KH~]

Quote:
Thanks, that was very helpful. I think the sand I have in there now is play sand - I will look for other sand or head to the ranch store for grit

 

[7L Farm]

I have never given grit to my chickens are any of my birds. Where I live its all sand? So, I have to believe that sand will work excuse me sand will do the trick.

 

[elaineinspain]

Quote: so, if I understand you correctly I can put a box of normal builders sand in my brooder and the 6 day old babies can eat it and dust bathe in it and it will help them digest any treats I give them ?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Copied from my Coop Project Thread.

Here is what the entrance to the run looked like a few years ago.




The birds can be pretty hard on the ground coming out of their run. In the past it was just a bare spot, that gradually worked itself into a hole...followed by a crater. So I put down some pavers to make a nice neat little porch. I used play sand to fill in the gaps between the pavers, but over time this works its way out and I have gaps again.




So each spring I scatter a shovel full of play sand onto the pavers. The chickens stop each morning and scratch at the sand, and pick up the bigger pieces as grit for their gizzard.




After a week or so the chickens have worked the sand back into the gaps, and I'm happy.

 

[Swurts]

I was wondering the same thing. I used coarse building sand for the base floor in my run. My chickens don't really eat much of the grit I bought but they're always pecking at the sand.

 

[Ardj]

I have never given grit to my chickens are any of my birds. Where I live its all sand? So, I have to believe that sand will work excuse me sand will do the trick.

Same here. I keep my girls on a sand , there is so many bigger stones in it , and the girls picking them up. It works perfectly. If you want to use a sandbox sand - I don't know about that it may be to fine. But washed concrete sand has so many good size stones in it. I don't understand why people are buying grit. There is so many birds in the world and they are doing just fine on the stones that they find everywhere - they don't buy grit. Mother nature is brilliant , wild turkeys, birds, wild chickens they all doing just fine without store bought grit.