Chick Grit?

[PepsNick]

I've been told a lot here on BYC that chicks shouldn't eat grit until laying time, but I was just flipping through my chicken book and it said to sprinkle some "chick grit" on the feed... like the way you do with sugar? I've never heard of this and have never done this with my chicks, nor have I found any "chick grit" anywhere. Anybody heard about this?

 

[gritsar]

I start offering grit only when I start feeding the chicks food other than their chick starter. If they are eating starter only or have access to grit by going outside, I don't worry about offering grit.

If chick grit is not available you can use parakeet grit, the kind sold at the grocery store, but you want the kind without added calcium.

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
Thanks. I use starter except for those who haven't been vaccinated for cocci, they'll get medicated starter. Does that still count?

 

[BooBear]

I give mine some sand (river sand) to play in. It is so cute to watch them dust bathe in it. They also peck it. And yeah, I do give them treats too.
I feed my chicks the chick start that is medicated for cocci.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Thanks. I use starter except for those who haven't been vaccinated for cocci, they'll get medicated starter. Does that still count?

Any type of starter, whether medicated or not. If all they are eating is starter, they don't need grit. They need grit to grind up other foods you may give them. Think of grit as their teeth.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I suspect you're getting confused between grit and oyster shell. Grit is for digestion and any time you feed the chicks any "treats" they will need some grit to help them process food in the crop. Once the adults start free ranging they usually get plenty of grit from the ground. Oyster shell is for added calcium once they start laying. You don't want to add the calcium until they start laying, otherwise it can cause long term harm.

The medicated chick feed is to help prevent coccidiosis, but the medication is not the grit. It's usually amprolium.


BTW, Merry Christmas!

 

[fl_deb]

Okay, grit is given from hatch till death, with the finer chick grit as a starter, if you sprinkle it on their food you will not have to worry about giving them treats or allowing them to eat grass. Grit helps them to grind the food so that it is available to their digestion.


Calcium supplement is given once the bird lays its first egg. You can use eggs shells or crushed oyster shells offerred free choice.



I have heard of using the finer pieces of crushed oyster shell as grit, however, I do not know if the shells would cause too much calcium for their little bodies.


Hope this helps.

 

[ryan112ryan]

I thought if you gave them bagged feed you didn't need grit. It was only when the free range and forage for food on their own. Is this wrong?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
No, that's right to a point. Commercial feed only and they don't need grit. However, even if you keep birds in a coop full-time and only offer them feed with no scratch or kitchen scraps, they are going to find other things to eat like the hapless bug that wanders into the coop. Other foods, they need grit. Free range birds don't need grit at all. They will find grit in their enviroment.

 

[PepsNick]

Thanks all. And merry Christmas, ranchhand.