Grit for 1 week old chicks

[Grandmas Coop]

Can they have a touch of grit???

 

[TOP KNOT]

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickcare.html GRIT: Starting the 3rd day sprinkle baby grit on the feed daily as if you were salting your food. Avoid putting too much at any one time as the bird may fill up on it instead of the feed

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Oh thank you, I let each one have 4 or 5 grains and that's all for now. Thank you for the link

 

[amawil]

When can you start feeding them food, not just pellets?

 

[TOP KNOT]

I really don't give mine food scraps. I give that to the hens if I have it. I guess for a treat for the chicks, I mix a bit of water with their crumbles and give them like a warm cereal. They love it. I also put a bit of alfalfa hay in so the can scratch around and have something else to do.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickcare.html GRIT: Starting the 3rd day sprinkle baby grit on the feed daily as if you were salting your food. Avoid putting too much at any one time as the bird may fill up on it instead of the feed

Well Top-Knot, I am on my 5th set of new chicks. I am keeping the rooster and 4 hen chicks, my daughter in-law is taking 11 + the surprise.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

When can you start feeding them food, not just pellets?

I brood as close to naturally as possible....a hen takes her brood out to forage for grit and natural food items in the first week. I introduce the same experiences at the same time. The increased activity promotes good gut motility, coupled with a natural day/night cycle and more natural heating I see almost no pasting (maybe 1 chick a year out of several batches raised) and incredible vigor.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

This is a good read on grit
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-science-of-feeding-grit-to-poultry.891051/

 

[Grandmas Coop]

I brood as close to naturally as possible....a hen takes her brood out to forage for grit and natural food items in the first week. I introduce the same experiences at the same time. The increased activity promotes good gut motility, coupled with a natural day/night cycle and more natural heating I see almost no pasting (maybe 1 chick a year out of several batches raised) and incredible vigor.

Same here, I introduce the new chicks to the coop and older hens on week 2.
I give them a week to adjust from shipping, make sure they are all healthy.