Grit is Unavailable ATM

[soospickle]

TBH, they don't really need grit at all if you are giving them crumbles. But yea, as others have said, an easy free source of grit is to just let them get their claws into the dirt in your yard - either by taking a fieldtrip to the yard or by shoveling a pile into the brooder.

For my most recent batch of chicks, I've provided absolutely no grit and they are doing just fine. Crumble food and the broody momma took them outside to scratch at around 2 weeks.

Awesome, thank you!!

 

[Dakar2009]

I watch my 9 week old Australorps (already large birds) peck around our very dry yard for a little bit each day and they seem to be good at picking up the size they need and dropping the stuff that's too big. They also have "construction sand" in their run that they pick at.

Do I still need to give them any grit?

 

[Mr Spot]

Hi Everyone!
I cannot get chick grit where I live and the farm supply store doesn't know when their supply of regular/adult grit will arrive. My chicks are 6 weeks now and I would like to start letting them out in the grass during the day. Is there an alternative I could use in the interim? I do have access to oyster, but I have been reading it's not really the same and should be given only when about to lay.

Thank you!

What about coarse builders (concrete) sand ?

 

[Thatscluckinggreat]

Probably the easiest place to get grit in your area is with a shovel on the side of dirt/gravel roads. Just make sure you are not collecting from a place that uses chemical de-icers on the roads. That usually only happens with paved roads though.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Find a grave monument company and visit their dumpster. They will use mostly commercial type granite, what we used to call courthouse granite, that will be low in heavy metals such as lead, uranium, and other toxic heavy metals. Avoid the countertop guys, most of the pretty granite is loaded with toxic heavy metals. The monument companies will have a lot of floor sweepings from the chiseling, just filter out the fines by washing through a kitchen strainer or window screen.

Sand works too but river sand is usually not as sharp as grit. Ditto on most desert sand. You want fresh weathered sand if you have to resort to sand.