Waterer and common questions

[DobieLover]

Thank you,

Is it okay if i just mix a tiny bit with their wood shavings? I was worried about mites or something.

For the sod, if they eat the grass should i give them a little bowl of grit?

Dust bathing in plain old dirt is generally all they need to keep parasites at bay. If they do get mites or lice, treat them with permethrin.
When they dig through the sod, they will pick out and eat little stones that will serve as grit so they would be fine munching on the grass or any critters they find in the soil. But offering a container of chick grit is not a bad thing.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is it okay to have a little tray with dirt and some diotom in the brooder when they arrive or is that too soon for their immunities and such?

I have my chicks outside as soon as I get them, so they're exposed to the outside environment immediately - so dirt is technically ok at the start, though you may find it best to hold off on adding anything like that until you see them all eating and drinking steadily, as young chicks can sometimes obsess over eating things that aren't feed.

For the sod, if they eat the grass should i give them a little bowl of grit?

If you plan to offer a clump of sod, I would invest in chick grit. A small sprinkle on their feed once every few days is plenty, or you can offer it in a small cup on the side (but monitor to make sure they don't gorge on it, as once again, chicks sometimes eat too much of things that aren't feed). It's so cheap it's just good insurance to ensure they get the right size grit they'll need to help digest anything other than feed.