Chicks ate a whole bowl of dirt

[proudmommie31]

Last time we had baby chicks I kept the brooder as sterile as possible. This time I’m trying to introduce them to things more like they’d experience if they were with their momma. They love having a dirt clump with grass attached in their brooder and peck at it a lot. Today I added a small bowl of sandy dirt so they could practice dirt baths. They went nuts. I thought they were just bathing. I look now and a good 60% or the dirt is gone. Not in brooder, they ate it!!! Is this ok????

 

[proudmommie31]

I should add, I know they need grit, but the volume of much dirt they ate is what concerns me. It’s almost gone now!!

 

[New2chicluv]

Mine ate their dirt too, it freaked me out, I wanted the same thing, for them to dust bathe but, it never hurt them. I read an article somewhere that it's not uncommon. I'm sure yours will be fine, mine are.

 

[Doc7]

Everything I’ve ever read on this says it’s very common and no problem.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know how many chicks you have or how big that bowl was, but probably not a problem. How tight are their crops? Do full crops become empty after a few hours? Then they are OK.

How sure are you they didn't just scratch it around the brooder? When it is spread out and down in the bedding it can pretty well disappear, at least until you clean.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

This had me thinking, when chicks are hatched.... they usually stay in a separate area with pine bedding and such, right? Well, when should one introduce them to dirt so they can get their fill of grit???

 

[Ridgerunner]

I introduce dirt from the main run where the adults are on their second day in the brooder, after they have learned to eat regular food. I don't give them a lot so it soon disappears. I do this for three reasons. They get grit. They get any probiotics the adults have in their system. It gets them started on building any flock immunities they might need.

 

[proudmommie31]

I have 18 chicks that are around two weeks old and I filled the bottom inch or so of the largest size cottage cheese bowl....I cut I down to just that remaining inch or slightly higher. It’s been hours and they’ve demolished a serving of fermented food and decided to dust bath in a refilled sand bowl. Flinging it everywhere and not eating it this time. I’ll have to check their crops, I’ve never done it before. I started introducing dirt clumps with grass 6 days ago as well, they pecked at that on and off, and got really excited every time I switched it out for a new one.

 

[proudmommie31]

Ha! On second inspection, I found a crud ton of sand way under the shavings, up to half across the brooder....good call!!!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

This had me thinking, when chicks are hatched.... they usually stay in a separate area with pine bedding and such, right? Well, when should one introduce them to dirt so they can get their fill of grit???

I'm sure everyone has a different way to do this but I give mine a little chick grit as soon as I get them, just a small amount sprinkled on the food. I add a sprinkle every few days.

My brooder is in the run and directly on the dirt so the chicks were exposed to soil immediately. By 1 week old the chicks were already scratching aside the wood shavings and into the dirt below. They're just past 2 weeks now and I've already started letting them out in the run with the adults, so they're already pecking at grass and dirt and bugs.