Chicks eating a TON of grit!

[BriteChicken]

I have four bantam chicks and they are going bonkers over the Grit when they've barely touched their rabbit waterer and Homemade feed... I've tried tapping on both of the others multiple times what else can I try? Please first chicks ever!

 

[newchicksnducks]

When I first added grit, my chicks went crazy for it, but it leveled out and now they hardly touch it (of course, they free range frequently, so they probably get enough on their own). Hopefully your girls will go for something else in day or so. It's usually the novelty of the new item.

 

[BriteChicken]

Thanks for answering me here's a pic of them attacking their parakeet grit for you

 

[fiberart57]

You might want to take it away from them because I've heard of people who have chicks who overeat grit thinking it's food and getting sick. In addition, some parakeet grit has calcium in it and calcium can be harmful to babies.

Why do you think they need grit? Starter chick feed is already ground fine enough for them to eat without grit.

I waited until mine were at least two weeks before introducing treats that require grit for digestion. Then I put sand in for them with a bit of dirt and took it back out after they had some.

Aquarium gravel, the natural kind, might be another, and perhaps better, option.

Mary

 

[BriteChicken]

Thanks for the response but I'm feeding a homemade feed so they do need grit and parakeet grit gives them the calcium they don't get from chick starter. They stopped eating the grit so much it's sort of funny now because they just Attacked it! Lol! It's my first time doing this so I might panic a few times Sorry!

 

[Akane]

Chickens do that when you give them new things. As they get older they realize some things are not food.

Aquarium gravel is coated with stuff and not a better option to much of anything. You can use sand or if you have a gravel driveway scoop off the edge of there.

parakeet grit gives them the calcium they don't get from chick starter

I'm not sure what you mean? Chick starter should have little calcium. Too much will cause organ damage. Parakeet grit may have too much even if they had no other source of calcium. If you need to add calcium to your homemade diet (which I don't see why unless it's lacking in several things) then it would be better to use a source that lists the amount of calcium and is measured as a ratio in to the feed, eggshells would work or for a fresh food addition certain veggies, instead of something they will eat free choice and need for another purpose. They could overdose on calcium while getting enough grit or under dose on calcium if it doesn't contain that much. I haven't seen where parakeet grit does list the amount of calcium so really we have no idea what they are getting and that's a bad way to make a homemade diet.​

 

[BriteChicken]

True taking them off parakeet grit right now and will give them milk free choice and regular granite grit... Thank you for correcting my newbie mistake I just knew they didn't need that much calcium but they did need a little so I thought I was doing two for one.

Edit: I'll wait a few days to put the milk down... since I don't know how much calcium was in the grit.

 

[RocketDad]

Chicks go nuts over grit because they need to load their gizzards up. Once they have a decent load of rocks the right size they'll eat less.

Try using rocks from a red ant hill, if you can get them. They're a perfect size. I had some "filtration media" stones that I bought for a fish tank that was just Texas ant-hill flint. Great stuff for chick grit. Great for planted tanks, too!

 

[BriteChicken]

Thanks I bought some regular poultry grit for when they were older and I've been sifting it. its pretty big for my bantams though...