.... really cheap in the big city but really expensive in our little crap town... the chicks are 17 days old with a few 3 week old bantams in the mix. Is it bad to start mixing in some chopped sunflower meats to make the starter last longer, and do they need grit for even something as soft as chopped sunflower meats?
Your chickens will be healthier in the long run if they have access to grit from the start. No matter what they are being fed. They will need grit if they are not eating starter. You can mix things in with your chick starter. There is nothing magical about chick starter. Not using it might just mean slower growth. If you are using medicated feed, and you are worried about cocchi, then don't mix too much in or you will dilute the medication.
Nope we are using unmedicated and just keeping things clean and controled to prevent illness. Can grit be like, some sand mixed in with the feed....maybe a handfull of driveway gravel tossed in like scratch? I wont be able to get to the feed store till the weekend!!! I assume free-range birds just grab a little gravel here and there for their grit needs, thats why I ask about the gravel, not trying to be cheap lol!
They have found grit on their own for years. And no your not being cheap. These little fuzzybutts are expensive. Anytime you can save a little you should. I started giving mine a little grit when they were in the brooder but quit giving it as soon as they had access to mother earth. Good Luck
