What should be used for grit for baby chicks...

[CrazyChickens09]

is play ground sand ok to use or something else for grit? Thank you

 

[brahmabreeder]

I personally don't ever feed grit. I have never given my chicks/chickens grit. They've all done fine without it.

 

[debid]

Grit is only needed if you offer food that isn't already ground up and your chicks lack access to natural grit sources. So, giving greens to chicks brooded in your basement? Grit is needed. Yogurt and chick feed? Nope.

You can buy chick grit at the feed store, give them sharp textured sand (not the soft stuff sold for kids' sandboxes), or let them find it in the great outdoors. When I needed to give grit to brooder-housed chicks, I found it at the edge of our gravel driveway (granite scrap, great stuff). Another place to look would be a sandy creek bank.

 

[CrazyChickens09]

Its a single chick being fed chick feed with no access to outside yet as its been way to cold. It has been extremely fussy today and last night so I got to thinking maybe it was needing grit or something.

 

[debid]

Its a single chick being fed chick feed with no access to outside yet as its been way to cold. It has been extremely fussy today and last night so I got to thinking maybe it was needing grit or something.

It's lonely. Chickens are flock birds -- they'd never live solo in the wild. Your chick needs a couple of chick friends.

 

[MaddBaggins]

I gave my chicks a bunch of dried mealworms. I tossed them into the plate with chick starter and added a teaspoon full of coarse sand for good measure.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

If you dont have the option of getting your chick a buddy a mirror is helpful.