sand for grit?

[buffs only]

My chicks are just a few days old and eating starter feed and I've given them a little plain yogurt as a kind of treat. I remember reading that for young chicks you can use sand as grit, sould in be fine sand or a little course? like maybe some that would be on a sand bar of a creek or stream? Should I put it in a seperate feeder with just sand in it and give them free range of it? Thanks for any imput

Buffs only- Conyers GA

 

[Judy]

They don't need any grit til you start giving them bugs or greens or anything that needs grinding. If it were me, I'd go to the local creek and grab a bucketful. Actually I'd dig out the fine stuff from the bottom of the bag of adult grit. I'm a believer in offering it separately. In your area there is probably enough granite around that they can get what they need from the soil, though. Here it's limestone -- I figure that's too soft so I buy them grit. They go through a small ($6?) bag maybe once a year.

 

[1muttsfan]

You can buy chick grit, small enough for little peeps, but they won't need it until you start feeding "whole foods"like seeds. They should not get calcium grit like oyster shell - too much calcium

 

[lemongrass]

I have heard creek sand is good. If I had access to some I'd use it.

Since I don't, I buy the chick grit and give them access to it within 2-3 days of hatch (before I feed them the chick food). I sprinkle it over scratch, which I also give on a regular basis. You could offer it free choice too, they will take what they need.

 

[NicolaT]

Sand......could I use sand from the beach as an extra to their crushed oyster shells for the grit??? I think it would need to beboiled first because of the salt - what do you think???

 

[foux003]

Quote:
Like they have already said small birds don't need grit. I wouldn't feed beach sand to them if you must, get some washed coarse concrete sand. As far as birds getting to much calcium when you feed Oyster Shells I find that they only eat the shells if they need more calcium. I find that when I feed SPENT BREWERS GRAIN the birds will eat oyster shells and when I feed laying pellets they hardly touch the shells. When I feed the brewers grain which is 21% plus percent protein I also feed them ITALIAN BREAD which is wheat flour, water and yeast there is no oil, sugar and no preservatives and a lot of it is Italian Whole Wheat. The bread lowers the total protein that the animals get which is still a little over 16%
I also feed the bread to my pigs and I just HOME BUTCHERED 2 -300 pounders and the meat is excellent, not much fat at all. These pig were fed a diet of bread, cider pug and some hay. Other pig farmers have told me "you can't make good pork feeding bread" , but it works for me, I had some pork chops yesterday and it is excellent pork.
foux

 

[foux003]

Sand especially beach sand has a lot of fines and clay that the birds don't need, the clay might actually harm them.

I am listed only as a "NEW EGG" here but my GREAT GRAND MOTHER, GRANDFATHER and my FATHER all raised chickens on this property and I have been around chickens and pigs all of my life so far and I am 62. I even worked for a feed, grain mill where we milled and mixed feed of all types. So I am a tiered old egg.
foux

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
The clay isn't the problem, it everything else that could be mixed in the beach sand.

Clay has a lot on minerals and trace elements and I have used PICKING STONE/BLOCK (there made of Pigeons) that has Clay as a main ingredient in it with no problem.

Chris

 

[foux003]

OK Circle C Ranch ; I agree the clay won't hurt the birds however I was talking about small chicks. A particle of clay is made with many layers like pages in a book. This clay can trap and hold toxins. Kitty Litter is made of clay. That is why I recommended "washed coarse Concrete Sand"

foux003

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
First it's Circle M Ranch.

Second I know what clay is. I know that Clay is a fine-texture (finer than that of sand) soil made of tightly packed organic and inorganic particles. It is generally poor in drainage and in airflow, but high in water content. ( What do you know..... those Hort. and Ag. classes did pay off

)

This clay can trap and hold toxins

So can anything else your bird pick at and eats.

That is why I recommended "washed coarse Concrete Sand"

I believe you mean Builders Sand or Masonry sand, if so you would not have to, "wash" it. I have been using as is in the bottom of all my brooders and never had a problem with it being unwashed.

Chris​