Chicks coming in another week or two

[Glk]

Not sure where you are located. This may be another case where that info could help. In the US when we talk about grit we mean the bits of rock that goes into their gizzard to help grind up their food. In the UK they call that insoluble grit. They call oyster shell soluble grit. That can make a difference. Oyster shell/soluble grit should not be offered until they start to lay.

One of the first things a broody hen does after she brings the chicks off the nest is to take them to an area where they can peck at the dirt. This has different purposes but one thing it does is immediately get grit into their system. That should answer how soon they can have grit, immediately. I like to wait a couple days in the brooder so they first learn what their real food is.

When do they need grit? It depends on what they eat. Chick feed has already been ground up, they don't need it for that. But they should have grit before they eat anything that needs to be ground up. So it depends some on what treats you feed.

On the second or third day in the brooder I feed them some dirt from the main run where the adults have pooped. You can use a plug of sod if you wish. To me this does three things. It gets grit into their system so if a bug wanders into the brooder they can eat it without a problem. If gets any probiotics the adults have into their system. It also gets them started on any flock immunities they may need. Do you have to do this? No, absolutely not. Many people do not. But I think it gives then a stronger immune system and gets their bodies working the way it is supposed to.

How soon can hey eat treats? According to a broody hen, immediately after they get grit. I don't generally give mine treats in the brooder but many do. If you do I suggest keeping that to moderate amounts. The vast majority of what they eat should be their chick feed, it is a balanced diet and contains all they need to grow well and stay healthy.

Yes thats what I had heard that a bit of dirt from your area will help build up some immunities. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Glk]

Absolutely a good idea!!! I do it with all my chicks and have for years! I dig up a clump...roots, grasses (dead or not), bugs, weeds and all - and put it grass side down in the brooder. I did this with my first, and only, batch of chicks that were raised inside, and I still do it for my chicks that are now raised outside. They climb on it, they dig and scratch in it, they peck at it and ingest tiny bits of chick-sized grit, and as it breaks down they dust bathe in it. They fly up on top, they play King of the Mountain, and it’s a fantastic boredom buster! They are learning to be chickens! In the process they are being exposed to the pathogens, bacteria, and fungi that are present in the environment that they’ll soon be living in while they still have some immunities from their moms. I have yet to have Coccidiosis sweep through my flock, and I’m 6 years and 9 batches of chicks into this!

As for the grit. With my first batch I waited the recommended time (and that varied widely from advisor to advisor so I had to just pick one and go with it) and then I put grit in a small bowl. They absolutely gorged on it. I thought, “This can’t be good!” Then my mentor, @Beekissed, reminded me that they didn’t need it...the sod I’d put down was all they needed. The gizzard is a muscle. Muscles need to be used in order to develop. So that small amount of grit they get from the sod is perfect for that. Now, I don’t know if it’s coincidence or not, but not once in all the chicks and chickens I’ve raised, has any one of them had crop issues. Not one. (Watch, now that I’ve proclaimed that I’ll go out there and have a chicken with a bad crop problem....<sigh>....my luck!). But a mother hen would have them out there digging in the dirt, eating chicken poop, and ingesting tiny bits of sand and rock at just a couple of days old.

My belief is that if a two pound hen can successfully raise a batch of chicks without heat lamps, books, experts, age charts, and web sites, why do we do it so differently and think we’re doing it better? So I just try to follow what a broody hen does as exactly as humanly possible and it’s been pretty doggone fantastic for me! Toss that clump of sod in there! At first they’ll be terrified of this alien being coming to devour them. Be patient. Eventually one or two will inch over and start messing with it. After awhile they‘ll be all over it! Good luck!

Thanks for the advice and good wishes.. what you said makes perfect sense

 

[Blooie]

I think it’s hilarious that my friend @Ridgerunner and I were obviously typing replies at the same time and he beat me to the “post” button by a minute or so! I’ve been off BYC for 6 months due to health issues, so it’s a treat for me when I get to “see” someone I respect so much on the same thread! Hi, RR!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think it’s hilarious that my friend @Ridgerunner and I were obviously typing replies at the same time and he beat me to the “post” button by a minute or so! I’ve been off BYC for 6 months due to health issues, so it’s a treat for me when I get to “see” someone I respect so much on the same thread! Hi, RR!!

Glad to see you back. I have missed you.

 

[Glk]

I think it’s hilarious that my friend @Ridgerunner and I were obviously typing replies at the same time and he beat me to the “post” button by a minute or so! I’ve been off BYC for 6 months due to health issues, so it’s a treat for me when I get to “see” someone I respect so much on the same thread! Hi, RR!!

Glad to have met you and welcome back

 

[Blooie]

Awwwww, (don’t) stop!!

 

[keeper 1960]

i the main hen house i have a large box with wood ash in it all year around. should i put a small box in the chick house? and when?

 

[tdan]

This is a good question, but I haven't. I would like to see what folks say. I have been working on getting chicks out into the run for visits and fast, but if I were in a colder climate this would be valuable info.

i the main hen house i have a large box with wood ash in it all year around. should i put a small box in the chick house? and when?

 

[Blooie]

I don't think it's necessary, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't have a great time and that it wouldn't alleviate the inevitable brooder-boredom that can set in. Boy, would it be messy though! Might be worth having a camera at hand!