Grit, or no Grit

[Sillystunt]

i dont do grit but you've seen my backyard

 

[here-a-cluck]

I read somewhere that since chickens don't have teeth they have a crop where they store pebbles, rocks, sand to help grind up what they eat- like a built in mortar and pestle:} My little ones have parakeet grit sprinkled into their medicated food.

I gave them a scrambled egg last night when they were having some inside time and I noticed after they went back into their brooder they went straight to the chick food dish and picked around probably to eat some grit. Then they took a long nap Sweet babies!!

 

[mdbokc]

Mine free range almost all day long. I keep a small bowl of grit in the coop by the feeder. The 12 girls go through the small bowl every 1-2 weeks and has to be refilled regularly. Oops, mine are not baby chicks. Sorry.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I never use grit for my baby chicks. Once I move them out to the big pens, and start adding some cracked corn, whole wheat, grass, etc to their diet, they get all the grit they need from the sand in their runs.

 

[tiffster011]

So sand would be acceptable for my little ones right? they are 3 1/2 week old. They don't get any other treats yet, just chick starter and they dig in the grass a bit

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I've always used grit for chicks in the brooder after about day three or so. Just salt it on top of their mash, not a lot at any one time. I like to feed chick scratch and green feed once they're about a week old or so. I've used coarse sand or parakeet grit.

If they're on the ground chances are you don't need to feed it.

.....Alan.