need some advice on chicks first field trip from the brooder

[twoscrambled]

Have taken my almost 4 week old chicks "to the playground" for the day, which is an outside enclosure . They love the room. and until the coop is complete they will have to go back into the brooder every afternoon. Anyway... my question is ...is it ok for them to be on grass for several hours... i put their food and water in the enclosure, but should i be worried about them eating too much grass? On a related note ...What is a crop? and how the heck do you clean it out? We don't have any problems, but i am such a newbie... just have a good laugh and please give me some info...Thanks

 

[RonC]

It's fine for them to be on the grass. Just be wary of any predators that might be lurking.You want to start them on grit, either purchase it(chick grit) or let them forage for it in the sand/dirt. It's pretty cheap though and necessary since they will eat bugs and grass while outdoors. Their crop is an upper part of their digestive system where all the food goes when they swallow till it goes on down to their gizzard where the grit accumulates and breaks down the food they have eaten. You shouldn't have to clean their crop out unless it gets impacted. I have heard olive oil works if needed to help things to move along. After they eat you will notice the right side of their breast will be bigger, that's where the crop is. It can be quiet large at times. We were all noobs at some point, happy to help.

 

[twoscrambled]

Thanks so much for the info

- When i take them out i put them in a 10 foot by 8 foot dog kennel that has a top and has chain link sides that i have covered with small wire mesh. No one is getting in there unless they go in thru the door...with me. I am so paranoid about hawks , we live on the top of a mountain. These are my first chicks. I started with 13 , and still have 13 almost four weeks later. I have been learning about everything that can go wrong and i am so thankful everybody is doing so well. They are coronation sussex... apparently not to common but i think they are so pretty.

 

[KFaye]

You have great questions and as RonC states...we all start somewhere. I always have a small bowl or low cup of sand for the chicks. Yours may not be ready for real grit yet. Sand is good for all of them.