Chick grit

[Irishsilk]

Hi,
I can't find a supplier for chick grit here in my part of Ireland....but have found chick oyster shell. It's just finely ground oyster shell.
I thought that oyster shell was for helping hen produce good shell on eggs, and grit was to help grind their food?
As this is all I can find will it be ok for 3 week old chicks?

 

[Percheron chick]

You don't want to be giving them additional calcium at this point. I would just give them a pie plate of dirt from the garden. Give them enough for them to stand and scratch in. Another option would be to go to a garden or hardware store and buy the smallest bag of crushed granite.

 

[azygous]

Oyster shell is not for chicks or even pre-laying pullets. It's for laying hens AFTER they begin to lay.

You are correct in what grit is for. And if you walk outside, you will be standing on some of the finest grit in the world. Good old fashioned Irish soil!

 

[Irishsilk]

Thankyou for your quick replies!
I thought it was odd, but the bag is labeled as chick oyster shell, and is ground very small esp for chicks.

I was worried about giving them our soil as it's Irish bog/turf here which is acidic. I gave some to mama Hen when she had a chick before (she only had the one) to scratch in, and the chick died a few days later. As the chick seemed fit and well I did wonder if it was because I gave the soil when it was too young.
Will the chicks not try to eat bits of stones that may be in the soil that would be too big for them?

 

[azygous]

Don't worry about chicks eating stones too big. Chickens instinctively know precisely what size they need. Chicks will snap up tiny grains the size of sand. Older ones go for up to a centimeter.

I think your chick dying after being on the soil was a coincidence. But I bet you could find grit on the internet. Everything can be bought on line these days. If you live near the shore, you could scoop up a bag full for free.