Grit for baby peachicks

[old biddy]

I have three baby peachicks that are 4 days old. They are in a secure pen with their mama peahean. The floor of the pen is dirt covered with hay. I feed them all chick starter and some scrambled eggs. At this stage do the chicks and mama need grit? I have crushed oyster shell that I give my adult birds but the pieces are too big for the baby peachicks. So, if they need grit at this stage what do I give them?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

#1 size chick grit for the chicks. Adult grit #3 for the hen. You can probably mix that and sprinkle it on the ground, on a board or use a separate feeder.
Do not use oyster shell as grit. It is ineffective as grit and is composed primarily of calcium carbonate.

 

[old biddy]

#1 size chick grit for the chicks. Adult grit #3 for the hen. You can probably mix that and sprinkle it on the ground, on a board or use a separate feeder.
Do not use oyster shell as grit. It is ineffective as grit and is composed primarily of calcium carbonate.

Thanks, ChickenCanoe. I didn't know that about oyster shell. I will give the #1 chick grit and #3 Adult grit. Appreciate the info.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

To elaborate, grit needs to be insoluble sharp stones. Meaning they won't dissolve in the digestive tract, get lodged in the gizzard and as the gizzard contracts, the sharp stones help grind foodstuffs.
Oyster shell is soluble, so it starts to dissolve when met with the acidity of the stomach (proventriculus), by the time it hits the gizzard it is mush.
Plus any bird not actively building egg shells can't make use of that much calcium. It has to be processed by the kidneys and can overwhelm them.

 

[old biddy]

To elaborate, grit needs to be insoluble sharp stones. Meaning they won't dissolve in the digestive tract, get lodged in the gizzard and as the gizzard contracts, the sharp stones help grind foodstuffs.
Oyster shell is soluble, so it starts to dissolve when met with the acidity of the stomach (proventriculus), by the time it hits the gizzard it is mush.
Plus any bird not actively building egg shells can't make use of that much calcium. It has to be processed by the kidneys and can overwhelm them.

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[KsKingBee]

I do not provide grit to chicks that are being fed crumbles, they do not need it until they are eating gains. I have had a couple of chicks that were on sand get compacted gizzards from eating sand so I try to avoid both grit and sand until they get older and start eating grains.

 

[old biddy]

I do not provide grit to chicks that are being fed crumbles, they do not need it until they are eating gains. I have had a couple of chicks that were on sand get compacted gizzards from eating sand so I try to avoid both grit and sand until they get older and start eating grains.

I am feeding chick starter to my mama peahen Anastasia with her three new peachicks (they are in a secure pen on dirt and hay). This morning I gave them all some chopped up meal worms and some of the smaller pieces of chicken scratch and some chopped up scrambled egg. They ate it all up. Have I put them at risk? Do they now need grit?

 

[casportpony]

How old are they?

 

[old biddy]

How old are they?

They are 12 days old.

 

[Midnightman14]

Never give oyster shells to peafowl. There is way to much calcium in them and it causes gout.