Kiddo thought grit was treats, gave to CornishX, worried about crops.

[PlotTwistPoultry]

My kiddo thought the grit we had was food/treats. We probably had about a cup and a half total. They're five weeks old, but we also give them greens, occasionally, hence the grit. In the Cornish stampede (is it called a stampede when it's chickens?) towards him, he dropped it all. By the time he was able to let me know and I got there, I couldn't see much of the grit at all. It very well could have just been kicked and spread out in the straw but CornishX's (at least these ones) basically assume everything is edible and will continue to eat.

This was last night and I felt up their crops this morning before feeding and I think they're okay. I didn't notice anything particularly hard. If I didn't feel anything this morning do I still need to be concerned?

As a note: Typically the kiddo doesn't give them treats without supervision, so this is on me since I gave him the thumbs up when he asked if he could. I totally forgot that I moved the grit near the cracked corn/meal worms and hadn't told him. He likely was like oh, this is a small bag and easier to carry!

 

[FunClucks]

At 5 wks, CX are large enough/ old enough for regular size chicken grit. I keep a container of it in their covered run and let them eat it free choice until slaughter. Even if you are feeding mainly commercial feed with few other items, they seem to appreciate the grit. Every CX I've processed had a normal amount of grit in their crop, comparable to the amount in the few egger roos I've processed.

I don't see a problem here. Whenever you put out commercial feed, I'd also have grit available, especially if there's not a natural abundance of it where they are at. Inevitably, my CX will get ahold of grass, or a worm, or an insect, and will need the grit, so I just keep it available in the coop. They also like to eat wood chips or shavings (seen those in the crops too), so giving them grit provides me with peace of mind that they'll break it down in their crops regardless of what they eat.

Your poor son! You can tell him they'll be fine. CX can be scary when they're intent on their meal, especially if you're short.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Oh they will totally be fine! If they were able to eat it without choking, then they are big enough to eat it. And I always have regular-sized grit out for my CX by 5 weeks anyway. Don't worry

 

[PlotTwistPoultry]

I don't see a problem here. Whenever you put out commercial feed, I'd also have grit available, especially if there's not a natural abundance of it where they are at. Inevitably, my CX will get ahold of grass, or a worm, or an insect, and will need the grit, so I just keep it available in the coop. They also like to eat wood chips or shavings (seen those in the crops too), so giving them grit provides me with peace of mind that they'll break it down in their crops regardless of what they eat.

Your poor son! You can tell him they'll be fine. CX can be scary when they're intent on their meal, especially if you're short.

This makes me feel a lot better! We feed them a local broiler mix and then vegetable scraps for treats, along with tossing them some grass clippings and worms sometimes for enrichment. I'll hook up a proper grit container for them then, as opposed to just tossing some out for them along with their food occasionally. I knew my hens needed access to provided grit but no one ever mentioned it for these meat birds.

As for the kiddo, yeah, I told him that sometimes I have to literally "kick" them back as I'm trying to get through their run's door when I'm going to feed them. I told him they'd be okay and we'd just keep an eye on them so he hasn't been feeling too guilty.

 

[FunClucks]

This makes me feel a lot better! We feed them a local broiler mix and then vegetable scraps for treats, along with tossing them some grass clippings and worms sometimes for enrichment. I'll hook up a proper grit container for them then, as opposed to just tossing some out for them along with their food occasionally. I knew my hens needed access to provided grit but no one ever mentioned it for these meat birds.

As for the kiddo, yeah, I told him that sometimes I have to literally "kick" them back as I'm trying to get through their run's door when I'm going to feed them. I told him they'd be okay and we'd just keep an eye on them so he hasn't been feeling too guilty.

Don't know how old your kiddo is, but I don't let my younger ones interact with the meat birds except through the fence for my kids' protection. They can go feed the egger hens grass and treats, and it goes much better for the kiddos. I make sure they wear wrap around clear safety glasses to protect their eyes whenever they might get close to chickens. Inevitably some child will try to cuddle a chicken, and human eyes seem to have some sign on them saying "PECK ME NOW".

And yeah, any chicken of any age (except maybe week old chicks) needs appropriately sized grit, and any hen over about 5 months old needs access to calcium (oyster shell or calcium fortified laying feed) once they are of laying age, meat birds included. This doesn't matter for CX so much, since they don't make it to 5 months, but it goes for all other breeds of meat birds.

 

[PlotTwistPoultry]

Don't know how old your kiddo is, but I don't let my younger ones interact with the meat birds except through the fence for my kids' protection. They can go feed the egger hens grass and treats, and it goes much better for the kiddos. I make sure they wear wrap around clear safety glasses to protect their eyes whenever they might get close to chickens. Inevitably some child will try to cuddle a chicken, and human eyes seem to have some sign on them saying "PECK ME NOW".

He's 7, but he knows we don't pick the meat birds up. He mostly engages with the eggers, but sometimes he'll want to go give the meat birds treats too. It's pretty uncommon, though. Actually, it's pretty uncommon for him to go to the chickens without one me or his dad. Even this time I was out in another part of the yard, but I'd just happened to run into the house to grab something I'd forgotten.

He's not a fan of holding them, at least. He does like just letting them eat out of his palm.