Chick Grit?

[Chelle1908]

As long as they are on starter feed (6-8 weeks), grit is not necessary.

Does this mean that I cannot put them outside in their run until they are 6 weeks old? When they are outside, they will need grit in order to digest all of the bugs and things they find in the grass.

I’m thinking that they may be fully feathered by 4-5 weeks.

 

[Chelle1908]

Grit is only necessary when they are eating food other than chicken crumbles or pellets. If they are outdoors free ranging, they will be eating grasses, bugs, seeds, and those require grit. If you give scraps, seeds, scratch, they need grit according to age. I don’t feed them anything but cricken crumbles until they are 6-7 weeks old and go outside to the grass. Now, if I have chicks raised by broody hens, they are out on day 3, so they have access to chick grit. I use granite poultry or chick grit, and they also find tiny rocks in the soil.

Ok, thanks! So chicks living outside can process chick grit this early?

 

[Chelle1908]

Sprinkle a little in their brooder so they find it naturally instead if gorging on it. I wait until a month for treats, and their first treats are boiled egg or steam broccoli

Thank you for the advice!!

 

[Debbie292d]

Grit is always necessary, why would you think other wise. From day one in Free range environment that is the first thing chicks eat.

This is in reference to non-free range, in the brooder. In the brooder, they don't get anything but what we give them, and usually is recommended nothing but crumbles for 6 weeks when other things can be introduced, so no grit is necessary.

I cheat and offer a little scrambled eggs at around 4 weeks and don't give grit for that. Anything else, I bring in a chunk of grass/dirt from the yard somewhere and let 'em at it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I didn't have access to all this wisdom until now, so I've been doing it wrong for years ... but my chicks have all survived and thrived so I'll share what I have done and you can pick and choose how you want to do it. At Day Three I start my chicks on chick grit. Then three days later I start tossing in a few mealworms on the bottom of their brooder. This is mostly to teach them to come to my voice. After a few days I may add some other little odds and ends: lettuce, spaghetti, soft fruit ... not much of anything, just letting them know there are new and unusual tastes out there. Again, it's mostly for trainng purposes.

 

[Altairsky]

Actually it is recommended to expose brooder chicks to soil within their first week of life, in order to let them build immunity to coccidiosis when their immune system is developing.
Feeding them scrambled eggs every day promotes growth. Chick feed does not contain animal protein, and synthetic vitamins are never as good as the natural vitamins of real egg yolk.
Grit, soil and scrambled egg can be introduced from day 3 or 4.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Does this mean that I cannot put them outside in their run until they are 6 weeks old?

Ok, thanks! So chicks living outside can process chick grit this early?

Think of all the mama hens raising their brood outside, no one gives them instruction to withhold grit, or that they should only feed crumble to the babies.

I brood my chicks outside from the start. Even without a mama as long as they have enough heat and sufficient shelter from predators and the elements, they can thrive outdoors.

Even brooding indoors... IMO it's still best to provide grit as soon as the chicks are settled in regardless of what you're feeding, because they will still instinctively peck at and eat things like their bedding, and grit can help break that down.

Chick feed does not contain animal protein,
Grit, soil and scrambled egg can be introduced from day 3 or 4.

The starter I use has fish meal. There's others that include insect protein.

Grit and soil can be introduced from the very start if you so wish. I only start at 3 days old because that's how old they are when I get them.

 

[Altairsky]

The starter I use has fish meal. There's others that include insect protein.

That's a good thing, where I live it only has soy as main protein source.