Grit! ......when, how, and how much?.

[frenchiegirl21]

I read somewhere on here earlier this week to use dirt from your chicken run. The chicks will play in the dirt, pick the grit they need, and it also allows them to start building up an immunity to the world. Good luck!

 

[coop-er]

Thanks! As of now everything is frozen solid here.!

 

[frenchiegirl21]

Lol. I wish everything was frozen here! It's around 80 degrees every day right now, and it's only going to get warmer!

 

[LBKS]

I read somewhere on here earlier this week to use dirt from your chicken run. The chicks will play in the dirt, pick the grit they need, and it also allows them to start building up an immunity to the world. Good luck!

Wouldn't there be a lot of risk of passing on diseases/illnesses from using dirt in an existing run - even if you were using medicated chick starter?

 

[Michael Apple]

It is better to be safe than sorry. Providing an entirely separate container full of chick grit is a bad idea. I've had others, and witness myself, chicks getting crop bound from over indulging on grit. Even adults with oyster shell. Sprinkle some chick grit in their feed like you would salt and pepper on your own food. Back off on fibrous foods until they mature and are out of the brooder. If they are getting vitamins and probiotics from their feed and water, that is all you need. Feeding a variety of foods is uneccessary at such a young age and can only complicate things.

 

[coop-er]

It is better to be safe than sorry. Providing an entirely separate container full of chick grit is a bad idea. I've had others, and witness myself, chicks getting crop bound from over indulging on grit. Even adults with oyster shell.  Sprinkle some chick grit  in their feed like you would salt and pepper on your own food. Back off on fibrous foods until they mature and are out of the brooder. If they are getting vitamins and probiotics from their feed and water, that is all you need. Feeding a variety of foods is uneccessary at such a young age and can only complicate things.

 

 

[coop-er]

Ok I put a container of grit out there... Now I should take it out? What about all the info I read that says they will eat only what they need? They have their starter and an occasional treat ( eggs, carrots) it doesn't really look like they have touched the grit but I thought it should be there if they need it... Wrong?

 

[cafarmgirl]

I read somewhere on here earlier this week to use dirt from your chicken run. The chicks will play in the dirt, pick the grit they need, and it also allows them to start building up an immunity to the world. Good luck!

Wouldn't there be a lot of risk of passing on diseases/illnesses from using dirt in an existing run - even if you were using medicated chick starter?

Yes, the chicks will pick up cocci that are naturally present in the soil from the other chickens. This is not necessarily a bad thing because they do need to start building their own immunity. However, you do need to watch them closely for signs of developing coccididosis and treat immediately if seen. It's always a good idea to keep Corid on hand when raising chicks.

As far as the question of feeding chicks grit.... my youngsters start getting it at about 2 weeks old when they start going outside a bit each day and finding bugs etc. I don't feed anything other then chick starter before that age either. Once they start going out or eating other things they get a bowl of chick grit that stays in the brooder. Yes, they are facinated with it at first but loose interest quickly and I've never had a chick eat to much.

 

[CarolynF]

So... if a hen raises her chicks outdoors, what's to stop the chicks from eating as much sand & dirt (i.e. grit) as they want to? And I can't see myself out there with a collander sifting the dirt. Just my 2 cents.

 

[debid]

So... if a hen raises her chicks outdoors, what's to stop the chicks from eating as much sand & dirt (i.e. grit) as they want to?  And I can't see myself out there with a collander sifting the dirt.  Just my 2 cents.    

 

Oh, I sifted so I could put the stuff they could use in a small dish. Most of the driveway is big chunks and I wasn't about to take downy babies out in the cold to get their own. My bum isn't fluffy enough. A person with boxed grit that is mostly too large to be used could save themselves from throwing out a bunch of too big bits that their chicks pooped all over...