Chicks eating Uncooked Grits?

[Shkoda]

I'm new with chickens, so when I was reading information about raising chicks, it said that they need grit to help process they're food. I didn't realize that "Grit" and "Grits" were two completely different things, so I found our box of uncooked grits and gave some to them. (The chicks are only like 2 weeks old.) When I was reading other articles later on, they said that grit is really small pieces of stone, sand, and dirt. Even though I gave the chicks the wrong kind of grit, they really like the uncooked grits. When I offer the grits to them in my hand, they eat it all within seconds. Am I allowed to give it to them?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Sure- they are bits of corn. They are fine to feed.

Here is the caution: baby chicks need lots of protein, so you don't want to give them too many treats when they are little, as that dilutes the protein percentage for them. Chick starter is 20% protein, while corn is 7-9% protein. It would be fine to give them tiny amounts and they will enjoy them!

If you give them whole grains or grass, they will need grit (sand is OK for tiny chicks, and free ranging for gravel or grit you buy at the store is good for them too). For the cherrystone brand of grit, #1 is chick-sized, #2 is for 4-7 weeks of age, and #3 is adult chicken size (#4 is turkey-sized). If they are free ranged you don't need to buy grit if they can find sharp gravel pieces in the soil.

So, if they are eating only commercial chick starter and ground grains such as your corn grits, they don't need grit.

Another great thing to try with baby chicks is very short grass pieces (once you give them sand or grit), about 1/2 inch long, I have found. These are loaded with vitamins and health!

They will also dust bathe in sand, so if you are set up for putting a small pan of sand in the brooder, they will gain enjoyment from it immensely.

Treats are the best way to tame chickens- they will be sure to come running when they are older when you do your treat call. This can be handy for rounding them up early or getting them to move to one side of the yard for any reason.