question about play sand please

[chickmchickie]

My chicks are now 12 days old.. and today i got some play sand, i put the play sand in one of the feeder round dishes but took off the top that has the holes for the heads to get food out.. and just used the bottom.. i filled it up and i just went down there to give them some bread and almost of the sand is gone.. i looked around the bowl thinking they spilled it but nope its all most gone.. 27 chicks really ate that much sand?



I moved them today from their pool into their play pen. will take a photo to show you my babies

 

[arianna]

They eat sand to help them digest the food, usually when fed with grains. It's ok, It won't hurt them. However if they eat to much of it they will fill up the crop with sand and there will be not much room left for food. If you want the sand for dust bathing, mix it up with a little bit of brown dirt. They will love that.

 

[chickmchickie]

Yeah i know they need to eat it once you take them off start and grow or other treats.. they dont need it while on start and grow only.. But it just amazed me that they ate so much of it.. you think i should take it away and stop giving them treats?, they are still on start and grow they are only 12 days old..

 

[hcppam]

I thought sand box sand had silica in it and was bad for them???

 

[chickmchickie]

mine is play sand its just sand.. here is the new living quarters of mt babies , its their play pen till they go out side.. the play pen is 8 feet wide i think and they look so small in there but they are growing fast at 12 days old.. now they can take a running start and jump and try to fly some its so cute..

 

[NCchicken]

Great playpen! Makes me want to jump in and run around! With my babies I just take sand from the grownup coop and put it in a 9x13 baking pan and put it in the brooder and let them have at it!

 

[Lil'ChickFarm]

Neat idea. Those are sold as ferret playpens and I use to have one. I wish I still had it. lol

 

[chickmchickie]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=17495
mine is the deluxe and works great and i hope to use it to keep the when i move these to the coop so they can interact and not get picked on till all get used to each other once they all go out that is

 

[juliaaa]

I'm so ordering that play pen!!! Thanks for the idea

I wonder if I can hide it from my boyfriend when it's delivered and say "Hey, look what I found in the barn".

 

[chickmchickie]

no no rummage sale.... for 5 bucks, and look its just like new too.. or.................. look what i got from a rummage sale its new in the box for 15 bucks lol