Grass to chicks? and Sand instead of grit?

[below_gravity]

When is the earliest I can give my chicks treats and/or clump of grass (soil, grass, worms and all)??

Also, I know they need some kind of grit to be able to digest this. We have pretty fine soil here so would it be ok to sprinkle a bit of sand on the grass/treats?? Should I not worry about this?

 

[SushiLove]

Welcome fellow New Egg!
My chicks are both around four weeks old. Initally they didn't show interest in any food other than the chick starter.
Now they're 'foodies'!
They enjoy the new grass I pull up for them along with the clump of sandy dirt attached to the roots.
I'm not a chicken expert but I see that they enjoy the grass & dirt and so far they've had no digestion problems. I do however like to trim the grass a bit as they'll try to swallow really long pieces.
They're digging fried eggs & dandelion leaves too!
I also throw in a couple of what people call 'rolly poly' bugs for comedy relief.
I saw what appeared to be four day old chicks enjoying a bowl of canned corn on YouTube.

Hope this helps!

 

[columbiacritter]

i start giving them grass, dirt and all at about 10 days old. I give them a bowl of construction sand big enough to dustbathe in at the same time. they love both.

 

[below_gravity]

So I should wait till they are at least 10 days old before I introduce sand/grass/bugs/treats?

I just dont what to get the little gals sick! Would it be better to introduce the sand a day or two before the grass/treats?

One last questions, should I not give then long grass?? Like Like right now if I pulled a "bunch" of grass up Its about 3 feet tall. Can i cut this up a little and sprinkle around 2-3 inch pieces? Also, can the fresh grass stems be too wide for the chicks to handle or will they know better?

 

[columbiacritter]

Quote:
The main reason I wait utnil 10 days is I know they are over shipping shock, they're eating well and know where the feeder is. By then pasty butt is rare and they are strong enough a little dampness on the grass won't chill even the smallest of them.

I find places in my yard where the grass has regrown after being mowed and it's 3 or 4 inches tall. I also search out clover and other soft plant yummies for them. It's just snack, I don't want them to eat nothign but so I limit how often I give plant treats. The sand bowl is always in there.

 

[cmom]

A chicken's food goes, as is, into the crop, where it is slowly funneled into a very small " stomach" for some digestive additives--then to the Gizzard, where it is 'chewed', that is, ground into material that can be digested as it moves into the intestines and so on. The Gizzard is best able to break down whole grains and other chunky bits that they eat when full of grit. Longest lasting grit is Granite, that lasts well. All other rock and stone is so much softer, that it wears down fast and that is why granite grit is best choice, works really well for best utilization of feeds. My baby chicks are given free choice and they choose it with pleasure, baby grit is fine Granite, as soon as they are given anything besides Starter Crumbles. Their tiny gizzards are at optimum function at an early age. I first give my chicks some treats such as rolled oats, lettuce, vegie scraps at 2/3 weeks with a dish of chick grit.

 

[below_gravity]

Thank you for your replies! I cant wait to let them play with some wormies!