What to do if chicks/ducklings have been fed veggies for several weeks without access to grit?

[Zenmonkey]

And can the ducklings eat the chick grit? Will it work for them too?

I don't see any harm in it.

 

[Mirrium]

That would have been my second guess. I generally get along with mine, but I can see where that would complicate matters. I think the baseball bat and the acting crazy are still solid ideas.

Understood salute

 

[Zenmonkey]

I'm really thinking that the most likely reason for weight loss is that they've been eating a low calorie diet for apparently most of their life. Fix that and this should improve.

I am curious how you know they've been losing weight for the last two days. Birds tend not to show weight loss very well. I try to pick mine up occasionally, more spot checking than checking every bird. I've got a lot of birds. But picking them up gives a quick impression of "heavy" or "light" and is often the first indication of an emerging problem.

 

[Mirrium]

I'm really thinking that the most likely reason for weight loss is that they've been eating a low calorie diet for apparently most of their life. Fix that and this should improve.

I am curious how you know they've been losing weight for the last two days. Birds tend not to show weight loss very well. I try to pick mine up occasionally, more spot checking than checking every bird. I've got a lot of birds. But picking them up gives a quick impression of "heavy" or "light" and is often the first indication of an emerging problem.

Haha, I weigh daily to keep a data log. I made a post about it here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/weight-data-for-buff-orpingtons-pekin-ducks.1657451/

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I promise you I've tried. Partner and I have decided to move because this isn't the first time important boundaries have been crossed

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Even the Good Book says, "for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother,," etc. I wish you peace.

 

[Mirrium]

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Even the Good Book says, "for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother,," etc. I wish you peace.

Thank you, I wish you well too in all life brings you

 

[MROO]

Thank you for the info we planned to get them some but didn't think we'd need it so soon. The places near us are all closing for the night so we'll have to get some in the morning. Is there anything that can be done in the meantime?

You can give them a handful of dirt from your garden and some finely crushed egg shells. That should hold them til morning. Once they have access to grit, feeding them greens is not only safe, but good for them. Like most inexperienced chicken people, your well-intentioned in-laws "knew" that birds like greens, but didn't realize that they needed to have grit to process them.
Don't panic. They're tough little critters and should come through this just fine. I hope you can say the same about your in-laws!

 

[Mirrium]

You can give them a handful of dirt from your garden and some finely crushed egg shells. That should hold them til morning. Once they have access to grit, feeding them greens is not only safe, but good for them. Like most inexperienced chicken people, your well-intentioned in-laws "knew" that birds like greens, but didn't realize that they needed to have grit to process them.
Don't panic. They're tough little critters and should come through this just fine. I hope you can say the same about your in-laws!

Unfortunately my inlaws do know that they need grit, they've simply decided they don't care because I deal with the birds anyway

 

[AGeese]

I second the dirt idea, just go out and dig a little ground up or if your drive is gravel there should be plenty of smaller bits there and toss it in a bowl for now.

 

[Mirrium]

I second the dirt idea, just go out and dig a little ground up or if your drive is gravel there should be plenty of smaller bits there and toss it in a bowl for now.

I've done that but the ground here isn't great, it's all sludgey since it rained today and we can't dig too far down because otherwise the ground is clay