My chicks are 11 days old, I'd like to pickup some meal worms for them and in my reading here seen that they need grit. Where can I buy grit, how do I introduce it to them and make sure they eat it along with the mealworms? I assume chick starter requires no grit? I feed them the non medicated starter from the hatchery, does chick starter already contain grit? I have 14 RIR hens, all bought and picked up from moyers chicks in quakertown, pa. All were vaccinated and are doing great! It's amazing how quickly these birds have grown in just 11 days!
I realize it's a stupid question, even sounds stupid - GRIT. I'm heading to TSC in the am, doubt if they know much as I seemed to be on my own there when I bought my feed. Are 2 week old chicks too young for mealworms? Thanks
I have never fed mine mealworms so I could not really give you an answer. I have fed them a treat of scrambled egg though and they did not need the grit. Good luck! BTW...no such thing as a stupid question Some posts get a little lost.....
Quote:Our TSC does not carry chick grit...so I take regular grit and pound it with a huge hammer. It need to be pretty small. I also will throw in clumps of grass with the dirt on into the brooder.
I have read that chick feed a lot of times has grit incorporated in to it? Can anyone comment on that?
I started giving my 2 week old chicks mealworms as a treat when I would let them out of the brooder onto my terrace. Didn't know about grit. Loved the way they would play tug a war or keepaway. They would peck at gravel or dirt or whatever was on the tiles. I guess that's grit.
Try to do a search. I remember someone saying (a long time ago) that they used parakeet grit @ petco when they couldn't find chick grit.
I don't give my chicks anything but starter till they get most of their feathers. And then most of the time not. Only if I give them something other than starter. My silkies stay in a brooder for a couple of weeks then outside in the grow pen with a heat light, in cold weather. Then to the juvenile pen which has a concrete floor and I put wood chips for bedding. They don't get out to free range for a few months. When they're too big for hawks to carry them off. They don't get grit till they go to the juvenile pen and get treats. I don't give grit when they get out because they pick up little pebbles.
Thanks for all the replies, I think I'll wait for better weather, then take them outside for a treat in the dirt. That will also give me a chance to introduce them to my 100lb. Lab. They already met the cat, (my 6 mo. old cat is scared of them) they have no fear it seems.
IMO I wouldn't. I never feed my chickens anything but start n grow for the first 8 weeks. I know you can do yogurt safely, also boiled eggs. . I haven't done it, but that is another story. If you want to feed your chicks treat, I would stick with that. Little chicks really shouldn't be in taking grit until they go onto pellets so....16 weeks. I don't feed worms to mine the earliest 8 weeks. I am worried about impaction. They do make chick grit, but I really stay away from it. Grit should be for older hens and roos.. who are fully feathered out. I know mama chicken feeds worms to her chicks, but she also shows them where the rocks are. I am not a mama chicken so best not. Stick with start n' grow.
