grit: would sand work?

[farmerbrowne]

howdy all,
I have been doing some reading and thinking (I know, I know not good to think to hard) and was wondering; why buy grit when there is gravel roads with sand! why cant one screen out the big stones and leave the sand like substance. would that be OK for them? If you think about it years of old they never bought grit from the store, the chickens would peck at the driveway. Just curious on every ones opinion!

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

For Chicks? I know a friend who did that for his pigeons, why not chicks?

 

[Percheron chick]

You don't need to screen it or give it to them. They will pick it out themselves when they range or are in their run.

 

[farmerbrowne]

You don't need to screen it or give it to them. They will pick it out themselves when they range or are in their run.

I was thinking more for when its winter in the coop

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

You don't need to screen it or give it to them.  They will pick it out themselves when they range or are in their run.

I was thinking more for when its winter in the coop

I don't give grit to mine in the winter, and they're locked up 24-7 in the winter. If you feed them general feed then it has grit in it, so if you feed them treats they should be fine

 

[Den in Penn]

Not all commercial feeds have grit added. Check your labels. I would just take the rocks out and leave pieces, corn size and smaller, in the bucket. They can and do use some fairly large pieces for grit, an individuals choice.