when to start grit?

[my3jsons]

Chicks are 12 weeks now. When do I add grit?

 

[MotherJean]

Add grit when you feed anything other than chick crumbles, yogurt, or eggs. Also make grit available if they are being turned outside in a run or free range.

 

[katdam]

i just bought a bag of grit and it says to start at 8 weeks...mine are 9 weeks....they don't seem to like so i sprinkle some in their food and they have no choice....

 

[my3jsons]

Oh, I better go to Tractor Supply!
thanks!

 

[bufforphfan]

Chickens have survived for centuries without much help from humans. You can buy some bags of "play sand" from Home Depot if you want to, and put it inside their run. They will scatter it, bath in it and ingest it. They will get their grit the natural way, like chickens have always done! Grit and calcium are two different things. Grit helps with digestion. Calcium prevents fragil and thin egg shells. With modern feeds, additional calcium is usually not needed, unless the eggs are too brittle. In that case you can save your egg shells and run them through a kitchen blender, before adding a little to your chicken feed.

 

[katdam]

i bought some just to ease my fear of doing something wrong....but i will definately do the egg shell thing when its time for eggs.....need to save as much money as i can!

 

[Bearsfan]

Quote:
Man, not my goofy birds! I put some in for free choice and they ate it as if it was regular food. They were right at 8 weeks. Seriously, they ate the whole bowl worth in a matter of minutes.

I also dump some grit on the treats and these bone heads eat the grit and leave the treats! I am going to have to pull some grapes and apple slices out of the run from yesterday before I let them out. I can't complain, they seem to be very healthy, they just love the crushed granite from Mana Pro.

ETA: They do clean the plate when it comes to applesauce.

 

[katdam]

i guess mine are picky...they will fight over the yogurt.....kindda eat the applesauce.....scared of the grapes....weren't too impressed the strawberries..going to let them try watermelon today....oh, they do love toast..won't touch the oatmeal. of coarse mealworms are like finding gold!!!!

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I must have really weird chicks....they attack whatever I put in their hutch...most of the time I am afraid I'm going to draw back a bloody nub...I always count my fingers after feeding treats.