Grit

[bigblueteach]

Moving chicks from brooder to coop. What do I need to do for grit? They will not be free ranging

 

[nuthatched]

Do they have access to dirt? if so, likely nothing.
If not, A bag of chick grit

 

[Folly's place]

Offering grit is always best, regardless. It's cheap, lasts forever, and the birds will eat it if they need it.
Mary
And dirt isn't the issue, it's what size rocks and stones are in that dirt!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Exactly. Dirt is not grit. Grit is crushed granite. And they require it for digestion. Since chickens lack teeth, nature has endowed them instead with an internal organ called a gizzard. The gizzard is a tough, two-part muscle that is part of the digestive system. Grit gets embedded in it and the two parts of the gizzard use the grit to grind seeds and other rough or fibrous parts of the chicken's diet into easily digestible mush. If your chicks are eating anything besides chick starter, they should have chick grit accessible at all times. Chick starter feed has some chick grit included. The chicks will help themselves to as much as they need if it is available.

(Edit: NatJ says this last paragraph is not true. I apologize, I thought it it was. More research needed, but I tend to believe her.)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Depending on age of chicks they may be ready for grower/medium grit already. If they're under 6 weeks or so or are small/bantam, then chick grit. Otherwise grower size until they're about old enough to lay.

I find it easiest to offer a mix of grower and layer grit past 6 weeks and let them pick out how big or small they want the pieces.

 

[NatJ]

Chick starter feed has some chick grit included.

Not true for most brands that I have checked (I've read the ingredient list on the bag, for several brands over several years.)

 

[Folly's place]

Last month I couldn't find chick grit locally, so bought standard chicken grit instead. Our ten standard sized chicks had no problems with it at all. Bantam chicks might have not done well, but we didn't have any in this group.
I think that given a choice, chickens eat larger pieces of stone than the grit offered at the feed store.
Mary

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Not true for most brands that I have checked (I've read the ingredient list on the bag, for several brands over several years.)

Thanks for the correction, Nat. I read that it does. Will check my bag of chick starter in July when my chicks arrive. But I believe you.

 

[bigblueteach]

From what little I know, the chick starter feed is formulated so chicks don’t need grit. But when you move to pellets or layer feed they will

 

[NatJ]

Thanks for the correction, Nat. I read that it does. Will check my bag of chick starter in July when my chicks arrive. But I believe you.

I have not checked all brands, and of course companies do change their recipes sometimes, so my experience may not match what someone else finds.

It's one of many cases where someone on the internet (like me) says something, but the only way to be sure about the product you buy is to read the label on that bag

From what little I know, the chick starter feed is formulated so chicks don’t need grit. But when you move to pellets or layer feed they will

Chickens do not need grit for crumbles or pellets. All of those are made by grinding up the ingredients and then squishing them back together into some size pieces. When it gets wet inside the chicken, it comes apart into finely-ground pieces again.

It doesn't matter whether it's a chick starter or a grower feed or a layer feed, if it is made the same way, the chickens do not need grit to digest it.

If you are ever in doubt about a particular feed, you can put a little bit in a dish and add water to see how it behaves.