Can my chicks be eating too much grit (sand)?

[hickchick55]

I have sand on the bottom of my brooder so it won't be slippery, and pine shavings on top. The chicks (not yet a week old) have excavated below the shavings, discovered the sand and are eating it like crazy. Is this OK? I know they will need grit eventually, but they are only eating chick food now. They won't fill up on sand will they? I will admit to being a nervous first time mom. Thanks.

 

[RoeDylanda]

I put a pan of sand in the brooder for my 3-week-olds, because they were attempting to take dustbaths in the pine shavings. They ran over and ate a whole bunch of it, but it's a week later and they all seem fine.

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

yes they can eat too much sand. I just watch for plugged up behinds. Poop will build up in baby chicks down if eat too much sand and you have to clean it off.

 

[Mak]

I put a box of sand in the brooder starting at about 3 weeks old. They love it and eat a fair amount of it. Never hurt any that I'm aware of. I just refill it when it gets low.

 

[greytmommy]

any particular kind of sand? I can get it at the local feed store, right? (thinking ahead for my 1 wk old chicks!)

 

[WhySayWhat]

I got a 50 pound sack of Play Sand from Home Depot for my chicks. I'm now wishing I hadn't spent the $7 on chick grit as they love eating the sand! I put mine in a 12" skillet for them to dust bath in, but all I see them doing is eating it, lol. My chicks are about 10 days old right now... As far as the "other end", all three of my chicks cycle through runny poos, normal poos, and a weird (bright yellow) "foamy" poo. I guess it just depends on how much feed/pine shavings/sand/poo/water they're eating at any given time...

 

[hickchick55]

Quote:
Or a landscape place. I just dug it up out back and dried & warmed it by the woodstove.

 

[teach1rusl]

I'd say they COULD get sick/plugged up from eating just about anything - bedding, sand, etc. But 99% of the time (IMO) they'll be just fine. I put coarse construction-type sand (much cheaper than the playground sand if you need any quantity) out in my baby's run and it was like giving little kids ice cream, they were gobbling it down so fast. But it's been over a week and I've seen no ill affects

 

[grammypam]

I used parakeet grit for my chicks when they were little. I would just sprinkle some in with their food. And this was after they were a few weeks old. You can get a small box at WM for about a dollar or so.

 

[kesali]

Not sure about play sand. It often has salt added so it doesn't freeze as easily. But maybe they only do that in the northern states like my Wisconsin.