confusion after visiting local Agway store

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I brought sand in from our garden to give to the chicks...they ate it and bathed in it. Have not bought any grit yet and my oldest chickens are now 3 months old.

Fed mine beet greens until they ran out, now I'm having to hunt for items from the garden to give as treats. They love greens of any kind.

 

[sloallie10]

You sound like me! Im getting chicks soon too and i got all of the supplies as well ahead of time. I am using shavings in my brooder because when the chicks arrive at my feed store, they put them in a brooder with shavings in them, so i just figured that i would use the same, shavings. And i dont think i will have any problems.

 

[PhilErvin]

Here chickie chickie! :

Went to the counter and asked for advice. The guy seemed very knowledgable....confused and in need of advice...was the Agway guy right?

If you are lucky enough (which it sounds like you are) to find someone at a feedstore that can give you sound advise I would take it.
The advise he gave you is EXACTLY the advise that most of here would give you. The chicks do not need grit as long as you are feeding them starter mash and they don't need vitamins or medication. They get that in the starter mash.
One bit of advise I would offer is this. Keep it simple (KISS). These are chickens. Our forefathers have raised them for eons and all they ever did was turned them loose on the ground and ate their eggs. They didn't have all these modern distractions we have that make some think this is complicated.
The more complicated we make this the less liklyhood of us staying with it. We will soon decide that they require too much attention and we will return to purchasing thise pale runny storebought eggs.
Good luck and welcome to this addiction. Keep asking questions, this site is THE GREATEST!!

 

[Here chickie chickie!]

Phil - Thanks for the sound advice...I agree that I could quickly get obsessed to the point of mothering them way to death (sounds horrible!). I do plan on introducing them to our yard within the week as long as its warm enough outside. I'm in CT and they say it will be in the 90's for the next few days.
Good luck to you too FizzyZow; keep in touch!