Grit

If you have a source of clean sand I don't see why not. I used parakeet grit for my chicks first grit.

 

Sand is silica and good grit is decomposed granite. Chick grit is as small as clean sand, but its microscopic edges are sharper and grind food better. Iʻm sure sand will work too, but granite grit is more effective.

 

Quote:Sorry to hijack this post: does that mean, if I have DG in my run, I do not need to buy any extra (more expensive) chicken grit?

 

Just make sure it's size-appropriate. I use coarse sand or tiny pebbles from my creekbed for the little chicks. The size of the grit seems most important, as my chicks pick up tiny grit free-ranging and my full-grown chickens pick up larger stones from the driveway.

 

I don't even give grit to my chicks. Medicated chick starter is all they need until you can slowly start mixing henscratch into the chick starter at a few weeks. of course I give them chick treats like bread, egg whites and canned dog feed (Pedigree chopped beef every once in a while. Green, fresh cut grass is a good thing for them too. Only other thing is fresh, clean water.

 

I think some people do use sand, but you have to make sure it's the right kind. I live near the gulf coast, but beach sand would be very bad because of the salt. I just feel more comfortable using Parakeet or Chick grit because I know its the right thing, and I won't accidentally hurt them.