chicks do need grit to digest insects and greens, which they will be finding in their run.
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For about 3 days at most. After that she may do some of that but usually are chicks are too breaking up food that is too large on their own - 8 chicks, one momma, they aren't going to wait and hope they are the one getting the bit momma breaks up. When we give them Japanese Beetle grubs at say 5 days they have to play get away with them because they need to break them down and do it before another chick grabs it away. Mom watches and I can't remember seeing a mother help. Something bigger than that like a lizard she would break up for them. She can't break down grain with her beak.Also, Momma Hen is breaking down various food sources for her babies with her beak so they're chick sized.
not everyone agrees with you https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/do-chicks-need-grit-if-fed-treats-and-worms.640821/ They might need grit for grass which has a lot of indigestible stuff in it (cows need special bacteria to digest grass) but I doubt they need it for salad type greens. However I think they need dirt to be healthy, grit or no grit, and any chick not raised on the ground should get a bowl of dirt to eat and play in. So whatever you are feeding your chicks give them some dirt. If they need grit for anything they are eating they will get it. If raised in a dirt floor pen where the dirt is compacted, turn the dirt or add nice fresh dirt from outside.chicks do need grit to digest insects and greens, which they will be finding in their run.
They're better off outside as long as you've made sure they have a warm spot.Thank you everyone for all of your advice I ended up placing plywood down to cover the wire floor and put bedding all inside the coop and got a heavy duty heat lamp and even wrapped plastic around the bottom of the coop to make sure no draft comes up from below. I'd lovvve to be able to keep them indoors but me my husband and our 4 year old daughter live with his parents and his mom absolutely will not let me keep them indoors so I have them set up in their coop and I'm gonna be looking for someone that lives near us that also has chicks to see if we can keep ours with theirs until ours are old enough the be in the outdoor coop
All birds have gizzards but not all birds need grit because of what they eat. However all galliformes can benefit from grit at all ages regardless of what they are fed. Grit helps to develop the gizzard so later in life they will better be able to complete digestion.not everyone agrees with you https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/do-chicks-need-grit-if-fed-treats-and-worms.640821/ They might need grit for grass which has a lot of indigestible stuff in it (cows need special bacteria to digest grass) but I doubt they need it for salad type greens. However I think they need dirt to be healthy, grit or no grit, and any chick not raised on the ground should get a bowl of dirt to eat and play in. So whatever you are feeding your chicks give them some dirt. If they need grit for anything they are eating they will get it. If raised in a dirt floor pen where the dirt is compacted, turn the dirt or add nice fresh dirt from outside.
All birds do have gizzards, but not like a chicken gizzard. Unless they eat grain it is much thinner. Many birds such as an owl eat prey whole and do just fine without a gizzard filled with stones. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/do-all-birds-have-gizzards/ "All birds do have a gizzard, but those species that eat very easily digested foods such as soft-bodied insects, soft fruits, or nectar may have a very small and thin-walled gizzard."They're better off outside as long as you've made sure they have a warm spot.
Be very cautious of putting your chicks with someone else's. Bio-security is very important as is quarantine. You don't want your birds to contract any disease or parasites from other birds. I don't even let anyone that has been around other chickens on my property without a boot wash, disposable booties and coveralls.
All birds have gizzards but not all birds need grit because of what they eat. However all galliformes can benefit from grit at all ages regardless of what they are fed. Grit helps to develop the gizzard so later in life they will better be able to complete digestion.
For a chicken not to have grit is akin to us swallowing all our food whole without chewing. You will get digestion but not as completely. Grit affords better feed conversion and prevents digestive blockage.
Right that is not a normal beak. We had a chick like that that survived for a while but never grew much and finally died. Probably best to cull it now.View attachment 1343282 I also wanted to ask is this normal one of my chicks is really struggling to drink and when I looked closer at her beak I noticed it's different from all the other chicks on the bottom