# Grit



## mrhmarkel (Jun 9, 2013)

Good Morning- I have 6 new Buff Orphington pullets and they are 2 weeks old as of today. I have read conflicting information as to when they need to have grit added to their diet. They are still in the brooder as it's pretty chilly here is KS so they haven't had any outside time at all and it will still be some time before they do go out. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance

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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

They need chick grit now. I have a separate feeder for grit in the brooder from day one.
Good luck.


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## mrhmarkel (Jun 9, 2013)

I had a feeling that they should have some now. Thanks for your help!

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## Chickie-babe (Feb 23, 2014)

I add my grit to their chick feed. 


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

And I will be an opposing voice. If the peeps are only getting chick feed there is nothing there for their crops to have to grind up. 

Grit is for those times they eat hard things, like seed and grit is needed to help mash it in to a pulp.

My birds never got grit if they were brooded in the house. If Momma's did all the raising it was available with what they picked up from the ground.


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

Yes, chick starter has everything they need including grit. By 2 weeks I would still think it would be ok to have it available on the side. 

I am feeding grower to mine and have grit on the side from their 3rd day on. By 2 weeks they are getting some scratch grains in their feed. I ferment, so the feed is pretty much mush, but I still want them to have access to grit. I use grower when the feed store is out of non-medicated chick starter, which is most of the time.


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## b_elms (Mar 23, 2014)

What is grit used for?


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

They use grit (since they dont have teeth) to grind the food in their gizzard.


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## Chickie-babe (Feb 23, 2014)

I think I'm in trouble. My 7 six week old chicks are quickly outgrowing their brooder. Which is worse? A warm crowded place or a chillier hen house? I don't want to risk losing one as they're all so healthy. Please advise. 


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## Chickie-babe (Feb 23, 2014)

I forgot to mention the breeds: austrolorp, RIR, Orpington, auracana, silkie, Banty Cochin and a Wyandotte. 


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

Chickie-babe said:


> I think I'm in trouble. My 7 six week old chicks are quickly outgrowing their brooder. Which is worse? A warm crowded place or a chillier hen house? I don't want to risk losing one as they're all so healthy. Please advise.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


At 6 weeks they should be fully feathered and ready to go outside unless it is extremely cold still where you are.


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## Chickie-babe (Feb 23, 2014)

The day temp is around 50. The night temp is 40. 


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

The chicks really should be weaned down to lower temps. They should be at least down to 70 degrees in the brooder by now. 40 degrees is a little chilly to be just put out into all at once. If you don't have a heat source of some kind in the pen then I would wean them down inside for another week. 
Do you have a heat lamp on them now? If so, take it away and let them just go with the house temps in a cool area for a while. 6 weeks and 40 degrees are both kind of borderline. Some breeds feather sooner than others at that age and 40 degrees is getting close to too cold, in my opinion. But I live on the Gulf coast and whats cold to me is different than what is cold to most folks. I have some 5 week olds on the ground now but they were brooded outside and weaned quickly. Our lows are the low 50s now but it was pretty cold here (to us anyway) 5 weeks ago.


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## Chickie-babe (Feb 23, 2014)

Thank you. The brooder lamp is set at 75. I think it's to chilly even inside their coop. They will have to stay crowded a little longer, I guess. 


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## BamaChicks (Mar 24, 2014)

I was told that if they were given too much grit, then they will eat it and not their feed. We give a small amount of grit a couple of times a day. Our babies are 3 and 4 wks old. 


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## TheChickenGuy (Jan 29, 2014)

robin416 said:


> And I will be an opposing voice. If the peeps are only getting chick feed there is nothing there for their crops to have to grind up.
> 
> Grit is for those times they eat hard things, like seed and grit is needed to help mash it in to a pulp.
> 
> My birds never got grit if they were brooded in the house. If Momma's did all the raising it was available with what they picked up from the ground.


I agree with you. But in a case where they have access to bedding materials and feathers, grits would be good.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

BamaChicks said:


> I was told that if they were given too much grit, then they will eat it and not their feed. We give a small amount of grit a couple of times a day. Our babies are 3 and 4 wks old.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


Usually if they are gorging on grit it means something is missing from their diet. Chickens know what they need and we should step back and not try to micro manage their diet. Provide them with what they need and stay away from too many treaty additions and they should all be fine.


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

I was reading on the label of the MG chick starter and I didn't see where grit was added. I guess not all starters have it. 

I agree with Robin, a lot of people over think the whole chicken process. Chickens can be pretty dumb sometimes but they are pretty smart instinctively. I keep it on the side for them to eat it when they want.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LW, that's what I do, its there if they want it. I've never lost one to an impacted crop. But I also avoid giving them things that might cause it, like hand fulls of pulled grass. Almost every time you hear of one like that grass is involved.


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

I have only had one case of impacted crop and that was when I used hay for bedding. I use pine shavings now. I mix leaves in with it but not grass clippings.

For greens mine get collard greens and mustard greens pretty much daily. I love living in the south.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LOL Yeah, they were talking about the extended growing season down here yesterday. It certainly has its perks.


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