Chick grit

[BrahmaGirl2018]

Ok I keep reading conflicting information so I thought I would just ask outright.

1. WHEN do you first give chicks their chick grit. I have a bag (DuMOR)--on the bag is says at 2 weeks. I have read posts that some begin at one week. I don't want to give it to early, but want to make sure 2 weeks is ok.
2. HOW do you add it? In a separate dish or sprinkled in with the chick feed? The bag doesn't say. It just says reduce amount if it starts to interfere with normal food intake (obviously they need the nutritious chick feed over the crushed rocks).

We are almost done with their coop (they will be 2 weeks old on Wednesday) and I wanted to let them go out for some play time--and obviously they may eat a bug or two.


Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[GC-Raptor]

My chicks got nothing but Chick Start and Grow till I put them outside at 5 weeks. That's when I offered it because they had access to grass, weeds, bugs and worms.
I had the same brand of Chick Grit. I would not offer till 2 weeks. Also says to monitor so they don't eat to much. . This has Poultry Grit for my Adults. GC

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is nothing wrong with giving it very early. One of the first thing a broody hen does is take here chicks where they can peck at the ground and get some grit, along with other things. If you are going to take yours outside on the ground they will probably get their own from small bits of rock in the soil, whether you provide any or not.

If all they eat is chicken feed they never need grit. It has already been ground up. But mot of us feed them additional things so they need it. Mine get it from the ground, I never buy grit, but they get it early. I usually feed dirt from the run to my chicks about the second day in the brooder to get them grit, get them any probiotics the older chickens have, and start them on any flock immunities they need.

Since you bought some chick grit you can mix some with their feed, you can offer it in a separate container, or you can scatter it on the floor of the brooder, coop, or run so they can find it themselves. The "how" they get it is not important, it will act the same either way. The when they NEED it depends on what they eat, but like a broody hen I like mine to get it very early so they are ready for anything.