Sand for the crop?

[TanisGirl]

just bought (3) 1 wk old wyandottes yesterday. I have a bag of plain old sand left over from a nursery. Can I feed this to my chicks to aid digestion or does it have to be special “chick grit?”

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Sand is not appropriately sized or shaped to be effective as grit

 

[TanisGirl]

Sand is not appropriately sized or shaped to be effective as grit

The “chick grit” I did have, they wouldn’t eat it.

 

[Melky]

The “chick grit” I did have, they wouldn’t eat it.

I put my chic grit in at 2-3 weeks old. First couple weeks they only needed water and starter grower. I offered my grit in separate container. They will typically eat it if given time even if scratch it to floor and peck on it. They do make a mess and you may have some small waste so I rationed mine till saw none in brooder. I moved them up to chic poultry grit at 8 weeks per Hatchery recommendation and put it in feed at 1 lb. per 40 lbs of feed because they were wasting a lot with the free choice method and this is the recommended ratio. They eat it no matter what for me. My chics thought the grit was a treat initially. One week old is a little early. They will catch the hang of it more at 2-3 weeks.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Keep in mind the grit is held once consumed so intake can vary greatly one day to the next...the perception is frequently that birds arent taken grit in as no noticeable change is observed in the container. With chicks introducing grit can be done by sprinkling it over feed so it is taken in as part of normal eating.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-science-of-feeding-grit-to-poultry.891051/
This is a great post on grit.

 

[TanisGirl]

I put my chic grit in at 2-3 weeks old. First couple weeks they only needed water and starter grower. I offered my grit in separate container. They will typically eat it if given time even if scratch it to floor and peck on it. They do make a mess and you may have some small waste so I rationed mine till saw none in brooder. I moved them up to chic poultry grit at 8 weeks per Hatchery recommendation and put it in feed at 1 lb. per 40 lbs of feed because they were wasting a lot with the free choice method and this is the recommended ratio. They eat it no matter what for me. My chics thought the grit was a treat initially. One week old is a little early. They will catch the hang of it more at 2-3 weeks.

Awesome! That is great information. Thank you!!

 

[TanisGirl]

Keep in mind the grit is held once consumed so intake can vary greatly one day to the next...the perception is frequently that birds arent taken grit in as no noticeable change is observed in the container. With chicks introducing grit can be done by sprinkling it over feed so it is taken in as part of normal eating.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-science-of-feeding-grit-to-poultry.891051/
This is a great post on grit.

We adopted the neighbor’s 4 old gals that came with the house they just bought 9 months ago. Couldn’t tell how old they were. Turns out pretty old!! Oh well. Of the 4, only 1 actually lays. The others try. The shells are so frail and the first egg laid since being with me was so soft, it was like wet paper!! Obviously calcium deficient! Been mixing in oyster shells because they refuse to free eat it. They hardly touch their food, too. Will eat the chick starter feed, but not the layer feed.