Grit or no grit for my chicks

[JJW2018]

So should I give my chicks come chick grit? What is it for and what are the pros and cons if any

 

[RevlisRemmah]

They need chick grit if they have food other than chick starter. So if you’re giving treats at all they need grit to break down food in the crop to digest it.

 

[JJW2018]

They need chick grit if they have food other than chick starter. So if you’re giving treats at all they need grit to break down food in the crop to digest it.

Oh I see so is it safe to give them treats such as dries meal worms

 

[wyoDreamer]

It is not a bad idea to give grit to chicks, but it is a smaller size grit than regular chicken grit. I agree that grit in the gizzard will promote a healthier digestive system.

 

[bikerchix]

i've always put a dish of chick grit out for my hen raised chicks since they're eating everything mama eats off the ground.

 

[OmnipotentOrpington]

You can get chick grit and chicken grit. Give them chick grit until you move them outside, at which point you want to give them normal size grit. (About 2-3 months old). They'll be eating more greens and weeds, so they need grit to break it down.

 

[RevlisRemmah]

Oh I see so is it safe to give them treats such as dries meal worms

If they have access to grit, I would say yes.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Chick Grit. Assuming you don't brood them and then grow them out on a recycled concrete base floor - which is where my birds get their starting grit before they are moved outside to house and run.

(RCB is crushed concrete, recycled from tearing up old house foundations, road base, driveways, etc. They do a good job of removing metal from it, and it ranges in size from particles the size of a sand grain to chunks the size of your thumbnail. My barn happens to be floored with it, and while its compacted enough to be smooth to walk on, my birds have no problems tears it up while scratching for treats. Apparently, its a regional thing)

 

[One Lucky Momma]

A gizzard is what chickens have to do the job of teeth and a stomach, which they don’t have. It’s just up line from the crop. Grit eaten by the bird finds its way to this very muscular gizzard and stays there to provide grinding surfaces for fibrous foods. There are no cons to having grit; it’s a necessity.

Over time the individual pieces of grit get ground down themselves and pass on through, and thus the need for a continuous supply. Free ranging birds will often find all they need in nature, but its always nice to offer. Young chicks in a brooder should have chick grit and can graduate to courser stuff as they grow.

Good luck with your chicks. Aren’t you just loving them?❤

 

[JJW2018]

Yes I am thank you so much I put a little dish with some chick grit in it.