Grit needed for chicks?

[bryan99705]

I started my chicks much earlier this year to help prevent loss to attacking ravens but a interesting question popped up. At what age should grit be made available for young birds?

 

[3riverschick]

I started my chicks much earlier this year to help prevent loss to attacking ravens but a interesting question popped up. At what age should grit be made available for young birds?

Historic lit : veteran breeders counsel to provide chicks with fine chick grit from day one. I do this. However, there are other modern BYC folk who disagree.
"Chickens for Dummies ", 2011, http://tinyurl.com/bobuvbh Page 302
In the old days, there was not chick starter specialist feed, so grit needed to be supplied to the chicks. See Page 302. I suppy it anyway, if they want it.

Best,
Karen

 

[Ridgerunner]

How are you feeding the chicks? The purpose of grit is to grind up food in their gizzard that needs to be ground up. If they don’t need to grind up anything, they don’t need grit.

If all they eat is chicken feed, they do not need grit. It’s already been ground up enough for them. Even the pellets and crumble has been ground up enough for them. But if they eat pretty much anything else they should have grit.

If you feed them yogurt, no, they don’t need to grind that up in their gizzard. But if they get grains, greens, or about anything else, they need grit to grind it up.

For what it's worth, I give then dirt on day 2 or 3 in the brooder so they have grit whether they need it or not, just in case a hard-shelled bug wanders in the brooder.

 

[LillianMae]

do they need grit for worms?!