How do you supply your chicks grit and when?

[Ihall26]

Hi! I have some 2 day and 1 day old chicks that I hatched out and I am unsure of how to incorporate their grit. The 2 days olds are finally starting to explore their food more and I want to make sure they have all they need. The bag of grit I have gives no real recommendations other than to start at 2 weeks old. I keep seeing people incorporating it from the start, so what is the proper way? They are eating the Nutrena nature wise 18% protein chick starter. Do I mix some grit in or do I put it separately, and when to start? Thanks for any help!

 

[MountainWoman73]

I go out to the yard or driveway, grab a handful of sandy/pebbly soil, put that in their dish, and sprinkle some food on top to interest them. If they are going outside regularly you don't even need to do that.

 

[Dirtclawed]

I usually sprinkle it on top of the feed when I fill the feeder

 

[gpresdo]

Hi! I have some 2 day and 1 day old chicks that I hatched out and I am unsure of how to incorporate their grit. The 2 days olds are finally starting to explore their food more and I want to make sure they have all they need. The bag of grit I have gives no real recommendations other than to start at 2 weeks old. I keep seeing people incorporating it from the start, so what is the proper way? They are eating the Nutrena nature wise 18% protein chick starter. Do I mix some grit in or do I put it separately, and when to start? Thanks for any help!

Think of them in the wild...pheasant, quail, etc...we have it available in separate container as we do with calcium...free range as they wish. In this instant ...nature is in charge.

 

[Ridgerunner]

so what is the proper way?

There is no proper way, we all do it differently.

If all they eat is chicken feed they don't really need any grit to help them grind it up. It has already been ground. When the chunks hit their digestive juices it will fall apart. If they eat much else, they need grit in their gizzards to help them grind it up. Grass, bugs, grain, whatever, they need grit.

I take dirt from the run and start feeding them some about Day 2 in the brooder. That gets grit into their system. Since I have adults out there it also gets them started on flock immunities and provides probiotics. If you don't have other chickens out there you don't get all those benefits.

Since it is grit for their gizzard you can sprinkle it on their food or offer it to the side. You can start it any time. I like to start them early just in case my wife swats another wasp and drops it in the brooder for them to have a treat. Yeah, she did that once, good girl! If you start them early they are ready for anything.

 

[Ihall26]

I go out to the yard or driveway, grab a handful of sandy/pebbly soil, put that in their dish, and sprinkle some food on top to interest them. If they are going outside regularly you don't even need to do that.

They won’t be going out just yet so I’ll sprinkle a little on their food.

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

I never feed grit to chicks, and they seem alright.

 

[Ihall26]

There is no proper way, we all do it differently.

If all they eat is chicken feed they don't really need any grit to help them grind it up. It has already been ground. When the chunks hit their digestive juices it will fall apart. If they eat much else, they need grit in their gizzards to help them grind it up. Grass, bugs, grain, whatever, they need grit.

I take dirt from the run and start feeding them some about Day 2 in the brooder. That gets grit into their system. Since I have adults out there it also gets them started on flock immunities and provides probiotics. If you don't have other chickens out there you don't get all those benefits.

Since it is grit for their gizzard you can sprinkle it on their food or offer it to the side. You can start it any time. I like to start them early just in case my wife swats another wasp and drops it in the brooder for them to have a treat. Yeah, she did that once, good girl! If you start them early they are ready for anything.

Great, thanks! I went ahead and just sprinkled a little for them even though they just have the regular chick crumbles for now. I don’t have other chickens and actually don’t even have a coop yet, we are building! These babies won’t be staying with us. A friend gave me some eggs to trial my incubator for when we are ready in the coming weeks and I purchase some eggs of my own. We will be handing these babies off in a couple of weeks.

 

[Ihall26]

I never feed grit to chicks, and they seem alright.

Good to know! Thanks! I have read so much I think I’m in overload at this point. Just don’t want to screw something up!

 

[tvett62]

Hi! I have some 2 day and 1 day old chicks that I hatched out and I am unsure of how to incorporate their grit. The 2 days olds are finally starting to explore their food more and I want to make sure they have all they need. The bag of grit I have gives no real recommendations other than to start at 2 weeks old. I keep seeing people incorporating it from the start, so what is the proper way? They are eating the Nutrena nature wise 18% protein chick starter. Do I mix some grit in or do I put it separately, and when to start? Thanks for any help!

I think you might wait for a couple weeks perhaps to start with grit because younger tend to think of it as a food and eat to much of it. . I was a vet tech for 20 years and the vet I worked for always told them to wait and on the back of the bag of grit I just got it said wait until they are 2 weeks to start so that is what I will do.