chick toys?

[NatJ]

Ok, but why do I need it?

Chickens do not have teeth.
They swallow little rocks (grit) which rub together in their gizzard to grind their food.

Purchased chick starter has already been ground up, so the chicks do not need grit when that is the only thing they eat. But if you give them grass and other things, they do need grit in their gizzards to grind it up.

If you give them a shovelful of dirt, they may pick enough little rocks out of that.
But grit is fairly cheap, so it is common to just buy it and provide some to the chicks. (You can put it in a container, or sprinkle it on the ground, or sprinkle a small amount on their feed-- how you serve it is not a big deal.)

 

[Battlepants]

For continuation of the grit answer - I like to add about a tablespoon of grit to their first batch of starter feed, then about a teaspoon each week after that (note, this is about 3-4 cups of food, so it's pretty scarce in there). My theory is that it helps them ease into having grit in their crops, and it can help them a lot if they happen to eat their bedding or something else that isn't the starter crumble.

As for the size/price - just get the smallest bag you can find. At the rate I use it, a 5 pound bag would probably last me several hundred chicks. Fortunately, with this being literal rocks, shelf life is practically infinite.

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

Ok, would oyster shells work the same?

 

[Battlepants]

Ok, would oyster shells work the same?

I would avoid oyster shells. Those are meant to be broken up and absorbed into the system as a calcium supplement. Too much calcium in non-layers can cause problems.

Side note, this is also why pre-layers get starter and flockraiser and not layer feed.

 

[NatJ]

Ok, would oyster shells work the same?

No, oyster shells are different.

Grit is supposed to be hard rocks to grind up food.

Oyster shells are not quite as hard, so they are not very good for grinding up food in the gizzard. Instead, they get ground up and dissolved and absorbed by the chicken. They are a good source of calcium for hens that are laying eggs. But young chicks do not need that much calcium, and if they tried to use oyster shells as grit they might have health problems from too much calcium.

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

Thank you everyone I learned something new to day! Thanks!

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

For continuation of the grit answer - I like to add about a tablespoon of grit to their first batch of starter feed, then about a teaspoon each week after that (note, this is about 3-4 cups of food, so it's pretty scarce in there). My theory is that it helps them ease into having grit in their crops, and it can help them a lot if they happen to eat their bedding or something else that isn't the starter crumble.

As for the size/price - just get the smallest bag you can find. At the rate I use it, a 5 pound bag would probably last me several hundred chicks. Fortunately, with this being literal rocks, shelf life is practically infinite.

I have used mine for 2 years now and went through maybe 1/4 of the bag.