Errr...too much grit?

[ChicknLittleLexi]

So I gave my chicks a bowl of construction sand this morning...they are 3 weeks old, and it was a Gerber baby bowl that was about 3/4 of the way full. Wellll...some things happened and I COMPLETELY FORGOT to take the bowl of grit out of their cage. I went in there a few hours ago, and poof...the sand was GONE. There are only 4 of them! I'm assuming some of it was scratched out into their bedding, but they ate the whole thing! I'm worried I did something wrong

Help?

 

[crazygoatlady915]

You will probably be faced with a few cement poos. And then they won't do that again!

 

[ChicknLittleLexi]

Quote:
Haha this is what I am thinking. I am just so worried I've killed them or something...poor babies

At least their poopies won't stink TOO much for a little while

 

[Wildflower_VA]

You didn't do anything wrong. You are supposed to leave a sand box in the brooder all the time. The chicks were just excited about their first sand. Probably a bunch of it is in their fuzz and feathers from their dust bath.

 

[ChicknLittleLexi]

Phew...thank you so much for the reassuring words. I was having new chicken mama panic attacks!

 

[JustClucky]

I leave a pan of sand in our brooder and I have to refill it because of all the dust-bathing. It's like chicken crack. lol I've never had a problem with them eating too much of it, either. I think they self-regulate pretty well.

 

[WhySayWhat]

Mine have a pan of play sand for dust bathing...but when I add fresh (still wet from the bag) sand, they go nuts eating it and have cement poos for a day or so. They do the same thing when I put chick grit in...but I only give the three I have a tablespoon at most of the grit. Mine don't seem to have figured it out, but once the sand is dry from being under the lamp, they don't eat as much of it.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Yes, do not worry one bit. Extra sand/grit that is not needed is passed thru the birds system - it is how they work

I also agree that most of it was probably bathed away

I would add more sand to their play box.

 

[okieinalaska]

Is there special grit for chicks? The feed store I only saw hen's teeth.

I guess I could find some sand somewhere...

 

[AlienChick]

For my baby chicks (if I feed them "treats") I buy the "chick grit" found at TSC
"Manna Pro Baby Chick Grit" since it's a finer version of the regular poultry grit.