Grit....

[Leah and peeps]

Can i use budgie gravel as the grit for my chickens that are coming next week? There going to be deliverd as day olds so when do i need to start giving them grit/gravel? How much should i give them? Thanks in advance!

 

[SweetMotherOfMars]

Hope so, Leah. That's what I used last year.

 

[Chicks&Chihuahuas]

As soon as mine are a few weeks old I start giving them "treats" which of course means they will need grit. The first treat I give them is organic stone ground corn grits (dry). For the grit I just take the granite grit I give to the big girls and grind it a bit to make it smaller for them. I use my "Magic Bullet" (love that darn thing) and pulse it a few times to make it an easier size for them to eat. Seems to work just fine. HTH...

 

[patandchickens]

They don't need grit until/unless they start eating whole grains or grasses or kitchen scraps or free-ranging or that sort of thing. Commercial chicken feed (mash, crumbles, pelleted) mushes up in their tummies and does not require the 'grinding' action of grit.

Once they DO need grit, you can use budgie grit if you want but all it is is clean *sand*, so really if you have a source of clean coarse sand that is likely to be a much much cheaper option

As they get bigger they need bigger particles of course.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Leah and peeps]

I just bought some budgie gravel that has oyster shell and flacked charcol.. is the flaked charocal ok for them to have? and so they dont really need it until they are maybe 3 weeks old? (correct me if im wrong)

Im going to give them watermelon to hydrate them when i pick them up from the feed store, its about a 30 min. drive home... they wouldnt need any grit for that right?

 

[Liana]

You want to stay away from oyster shell or any other calcium supplement until much later when they start to lay. Too much calcium is unhealthy for chicks.

 

[Leah and peeps]

ok thanks

... so can i save this type till they are about 18 weeks and are going to be around the time their going to start to lay? ill buy a grit withoiut anyoyster shell for now then and what about the Charcol??

 

[patandchickens]

the charcoal is entirely harmless.

Note that by the time they are old enough to be getting calcium, they will be too big for budgie grit to do them much good anyhow as it is so small

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Leah and peeps]

Thanks!! You guys have helped soo much!! So they dont need any grit for the watermelon?

 

[tammyd57]

No, they don't need grit for watermelon. Rule of thumb: If you can eat it without much chewing, they don't need grit for it. Cooked eggs, watermelon, yogurt, oatmeal, that type of thing.