Grit help! How serve it & is it needed with a sand run?

[sweetpumpkinfarm]

New chicken Mama—Our almost 6 week chicks are about to move full time into their coop (it’s halfway done). They’ve been having treats (lettuces, watermelon) for a couple weeks & have had dust baths (sand, soil, peet moss, lavender) for a few weeks. They have a washed sand run they now spend days in (will eventually free range backyard). If they have a sand run & dust bath access do I need to serve grit? and if I do whats best way to serve it, I worry they might eat too much if its in its own container? Thank you!

 

[RoyalChick]

New chicken Mama—Our almost 6 week chicks are about to move full time into their coop (it’s halfway done). They’ve been having treats (lettuces, watermelon) for a couple weeks & have had dust baths (sand, soil, peet moss, lavender) for a few weeks. They have a washed sand run they now spend days in (will eventually free range backyard). If they have a sand run & dust bath access do I need to serve grit? and if I do whats best way to serve it, I worry they might eat too much if its in its own container? Thank you!

Congratulations on your new babies and welcome to BYC!
I would get chick grit for them. It is not expensive and better safe than sorry. You can buy a small bag at TSC or on line. That bag will probably last you for years!
I usually put it in a bowl and they usually fling it about and presumably eat some of it too.
I also have a bowl of grit for the adults (it is bigger than chick grit). I almost certainly don’t need to do that as mine spend a fair amount ranging around but I have clay soil and it has very few small rocks, so again I figured better safe than sorry.

 

[sweetpumpkinfarm]

Congratulations on your new babies and welcome to BYC!
I would get chick grit for them. It is not expensive and better safe than sorry. You can buy a small bag at TSC or on line. That bag will probably last you for years!
I usually put it in a bowl and they usually fling it about and presumably eat some of it too.
I also have a bowl of grit for the adults (it is bigger than chick grit). I almost certainly don’t need to do that as mine spend a fair amount ranging around but I have clay soil and it has very few small rocks, so again I figured better safe than sorry.

Thank you! This is very helpful! We got our chicks from a local feed store & the owner did give me a bag of grit but I’ve been nervous to introduce it because it wasnt labeled & it looked big to give at one week which was their suggestion. But the chicks are soooo much bigger now & have already been foraging in the run and yard pen. I’ll put some (pictures) in a separate bowl in the run tomorrow. Thank you!!!

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

New chicken Mama—Our almost 6 week chicks are about to move full time into their coop (it’s halfway done). They’ve been having treats (lettuces, watermelon) for a couple weeks & have had dust baths (sand, soil, peet moss, lavender) for a few weeks. They have a washed sand run they now spend days in (will eventually free range backyard). If they have a sand run & dust bath access do I need to serve grit? and if I do whats best way to serve it, I worry they might eat too much if its in its own container? Thank you!

Hello Is it okay if you take another picture of the sand they are on, but closer up. In your picture the wire fence is in focus and I can't see the sand size.

 

[FrostRanger]

I agree that it's better to provide grit than not. Worst case scenario if they don't need it and you provide it is you're out 8 bucks. Worst case scenario if they need it but don't have it is they could get ill and potentially die. A dish secured to something in a way they won't knock it over or get junk in it is what I'd serve it in and they can have it free choice

 

[sweetpumpkinfarm]

Hello Is it okay if you take another picture of the sand they are on, but closer up. In your picture the wire fence is in focus and I can't see the sand size.

sure! it’s washed construction sand

 

[rosemarythyme]

the owner did give me a bag of grit but I’ve been nervous to introduce it because it wasnt labeled & it looked big to give at one week which was their suggestion.

I think that looks about right. If you want, compare it sizewise to this "chart":

Typical standard sized birds would be on chick grit from hatch to around 6-8 weeks old. Then grower from 8 to maybe 16-18 weeks old, and then layer size after that.

You may have sand that's the right size that the chicks have already eaten to serve as grit, but if the sand is fairly uniform in size they'll need larger grit as they get older.

 

[sweetpumpkinfarm]

I agree that it's better to provide grit than not. Worst case scenario if they don't need it and you provide it is you're out 8 bucks. Worst case scenario if they need it but don't have it is they could get ill and potentially die. A dish secured to something in a way they won't knock it over or get junk in it is what I'd serve it in and they can have it free choice

thank you!

 

[RoyalChick]

I think that looks about right. If you want, compare it sizewise to this "chart":
View attachment 3894289

Typical standard sized birds would be on chick grit from hatch to around 6-8 weeks old. Then grower from 8 to maybe 16-18 weeks old, and then layer size after that.

You may have sand that's the right size that the chicks have already eaten to serve as grit, but if the sand is fairly uniform in size they'll need larger grit as they get older.

Good point. I wasn’t focused on the age of the chicks. They have nearly outgrown chick grit.
@sweetpumpkinfarm, I would serve them what you have and then buy a bag of bigger grit. They won’t eat it if it is too big for them.
I have never used grower grit (never seen it for sale around me) so I would just buy a bag of grown-up grit.

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

sure! it’s washed construction sand

Hello For their age and the lettuce and watermelon tey are just fine for now if your main feed is crumble or pellets. The crumble and pellets are designed to fall apart with water so grit isnt needed to digest them. When you add food other than crumble or pellets, chickens will nee some kind of grit. Everything looks great right now.