Can't Find Baby Chick Grit

[jennymoop]

Hi Everyone,
I want to start feeding my 2 week old RIRs treats, but I am having a hard time tracking down grit for chicks. I found one place online, but they want $16.00 for shipping on a $7 bag. Seems kinda steep. Someone told me I could use sand as grit, but I didn't want to test that theory until I heard from someone else.

Has anyone had luck finding chick grit at actual stores (I live in Boulder, Colorado)?

Has anyone heard of using sand as baby chick grit?

Thanks in advance,
Jenny

 

[sumi]

I don't give my chicks grit as they free range with mom, but I have read here that you can give them sand. Builder's sand is apparently the best.

 

[Lollipop]

Yes, you can give them sand. The coarser the better. Some folks use parakeet grit........Pop

 

[RonC]

They will pick small rocks from sand. Some sand is not good to have around chickens because of the silica content being a carcinogen. If you have a small flock parakeet grit can be used although it would be more expensive. They don't require a great deal of it. The first time they find it you will think it's their favorite food but they quickly slow down on it. I purchased 10 lbs(where my feed store gives a break on price) of it almost 3 months ago and still have over half of it left. One outside most of the grit they use will come from foraging. Got mine at a local feed store and TSC carries it also.

 

[ChickiesInUtah]

I have heard of folks using sand but I haven't. I don't have a good reason. When they're outdoors in their little pen they peck at the grass until they reach dirt. Since I only feed them chick food (aside from any bug they've maybe found in the grass) I figure any small dirt/sand particles they eat will hang around in their gizzard until they need it.

For reference mine are 6 weeks old and hopefully exiting the brooder this coming weekend. I'm done with laundry room residence!

 

[gardendufus]

Don't know what they have in Boulder, but here in the Springs we have BigR. They have chick grit. I would imagine any feed store would have it.

Try the pet stores if that doesn't work.

 

[calliexw]

I gave my chicks both sand and decomposed granite around that age. They were fine with both. One still loves to eat sand when she can find it. They are close to three months now.

 

[CDN-Maple]

I gave mine chick grit from TSC. Once the 5lbs bag was gone and they went outside, I did not purchase more. They are finding grit on their own. You do have to watch them a little when you first give them the grit. Since it is a different type of feed in the brooder, they tend to like it a lot. I slowly introduced it in small quantities to make sure they had some, but still ate plenty of chick feed.