Wood Shavings & Grit

[stevin]

my chicks are just about 2 wks old and i'm noticing them picking thru the shaving and at times eating some of the smaller pieces of shavings/dust. should i introduce them to grit to help breakdown any wood particles that they may be swallowing?

 

[MuranoFarms]

Maybe they're finding little bits of food under those shavings?

 

[AlyUte]

If you're worried, then absolutely introduce them to grit. It's always better to be safe than sorry. Chicks this young won't be able to take normal grit, but you can buy parakeet grit at Petsmart, Walmart, Target, etc. Just make sure it doesn't have added calcium.

 

[stevin]

that's what i thought. when i 1st set up the brooder i accidentally spilled a very small amount of chick feed on the shavings.
they found that instantly. but since then i gave the brooder a complete cleaning, scooped out all the dirty shavings and vacuumed the floor and after putting down fresh shavings they started scratching thru it and occasionally eating a small pieces of shavings.
are they still too young to be given grit? i haven't given them any treats, just the chick feed.
does the chick feed come with a small amount of grit already mixed in?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

On day 3, I offer my incubator hatched chicks a little plastic container of sand and grit. This gives them something to scratch and pick thru, plus they enjoy bathing in the sand. This way they have grit, and I do not need to worry about what they may eat. My broodies have their chicks out and about in the yard at day 3, and she has them eating everything.

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Brooder chicks tend to scratch around and catch lil bugs that we don't see go into the brooder and sometimes it is just what they do I sat and watched mine do it alot what happens is they eat the dust because it looks like food but is also sand like I have seen mine take a dust bath in and then eat it for there grit all chicks in a brooder should have grit given to them on day three (it is how momma would do it) until they are out in the coop/run or free ranging by then they are big enough to find it on there own but if you have say a cement floored run then you should offer it to them for mine I just throw a few handfuls on the ground out in the run this way when they scratch they find it and eat it and thery feel they have found it on there own (they seem to eat it better when done in this manner).

You can buy starter grit at some feed stores it is for poultry so you will need to look for that kind.

Good luck to you and no worries it is what a chicken does.

 

[stevin]

you're right, the fine saw dust that settles to the bottom does resemble the chick feed.....

 

[felidaet]

I put a container of chick grit in the brooder when the chicks are about 1 week old. From then on they have it available free choice if they need it. I leave them on chick grit until about 12 weeks. Then I switch to regular chicken grit. I raise LF breeds.