Chicks gorging themselves on Sand

[DaveD]

My girls are 11 days old, about (shipped the 5th) I put Desert Sand in the broader and I am concerned about them eating too much. I had put some in before and it was there for a while, until today when they finished it. When I replaced it, I noticed that at least one was trying to dust-bath in it, so I put in a larger pan for them. Their crops are now extremely full looking (To me, at least, as a first time chick-daddy). Do I need to be worried, or is everything fine?

-David

 

[Henferno]

Why are you using Desert Sand at all? 11-day-olds don't need it, yet... It would be better in a few weeks.
I wouldn't worry about it, as long as they've been eating the food as well... they would do that naturally, no? With a hen?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

At 3 days of age, I offer all my incubator hatched chicks sand/dirt from the yard - they get it in a plastic sandwich container. (If they were with mom they would be out picking around thru the dirt on day 3 - at least all mine always are)

Chicks love to dust bathe and help ease the itch from new feather growth, they enjoy scratching and searching. It also helps get their gizzard ready for food other than chick starter - so you can start adding treats also. If you are lucky and have grass, give them a plug of grass with dirt.

I would not worry about their gorging.

 

[DaveD]

I want to give them treats. But right now they only like the yogurt, so far.

-David

 

[merryberry]

My chicks are on sand. For their first week, I had the sand covered with paper towels, to make sure they knew what was food first. Regardless of that, when I took up the paper towels, they went nuts and (seemingly) ate a ton of sand. I was worried, but I decided that if their instincts weren't any better than that, I probably couldn't help them (because after all, like HorseFeatherz pointed out, in nature they'd already be in the dirt). So I let it go.

Anyhow, they stopped eating sand and are all just fine and really enjoying the sand.

Have you tried mealworms? Mine LOVE the live ones.

 

[Tala]

It has never hurt any of mine either.

 

[Supermommy486]

Question, what kind of sand do you use? Or does it even matter? ( I'm needing to get some but don't know what kind)

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I scoop some out of the driveway to use as grit.

 

[DaveD]

Supermommy, I had some play sand, but it seemed way too fine to me. I found at Lowes a 5 lbs bag of Desert Sand, which was much much coarser. Since it talked about using it for gardening and such, I think it shouldn't have chemicals on it, but to be extra safe, I boiled it.

-David