Hen grit for chicks?

[09northernchick]

My chicks are three weeks old. The lady at the feed store sold me hen grit. She said it was fine for chicks. It looks too big. It is about the size of salt that you through on your driveway in the winter. Isn't this too big?

We have started giving the chicks some treats - worms, watermelon, oatmeal, cooked eggs. Just very small amounts and only once every day or two. Do I need to give grit yet?

 

[vtsarahb]

yes, they should have grit if they are getting treats. The grit you have sounds a little big for 3-week-olds. You could try crushing it up more... if that doesn't work most feed stores also sell chick-sized grit. If you can't find that, check a pet store for parakeet grit- just make sure it doesn't have salt in it or anything like that.

 

[KattyKillFish]

parakeet grit is fine, sounds like your grit is too big. chick grit is basically crushed granite .you can also use regular sand that you'd fine outside if you live in a pretty unpopulated neighborhood. i live here in Alaska and use sand from the beach so long as the beach i'm getting it from isn't frequently visited by people.

 

[kingmt]

I use sand from the stone yard. I pay $5 a ton instead of $5 a pound. I could go to the branch but I had to get some stone any how so 2 x 5 gal. buckets were easier to grab there then to carry a bucket over the hill. I only use this for the chicks in the brooder because the ones that free range can find there own.

 

[C_Dzchicks]

A little parakeet grit is fine, however you will find on the label that it has calcium which is generally not good to give to the too early, or at least until they go on layer ration, at which point they can have hen grit. Mine are 5 weeks old and I posted the same question yesterday and somebody told me that my 5week olds will be fine, they will just eat the ones they can and leave the ones they can't so I gave them a handful yesterday and they ate the whole pile!!

I just sat there and watched in amazement.

Woke up this morning and they were looking like a million bucks so.....

 

[wyo-helpmeet]

What about that "play sand" that you can get from home depot or stuff-mart?

 

[KattyKillFish]

Quote:
it works fine for me and i have no problems with it.