When should I start chicks on grit? (+ other questions)

So on most packaging of grit for chicks it says not to start them on it until they are 2 weeks old, do they need to have grit before then? Also what supplies will I need for my chicks? I have an outdoor shed for my chicks that has water and electricity, can I put the day old chicks in there or should they be inside? What are some good toys that I can purchase/make for my chickens? Will most of my chicks survive? Do chicks have a high survival rate?

I don't follow the instructions, I provide grit as soon as I get them (2-3 days old). I brood outdoors so mine do need the grit as they'll eat wood particles, dirt, bugs, etc.

As far as the shed, that should work fine for brooding. Preferably it would have some natural light inside as well as some ventilation (which most sheds should have).

Chickens don't really need toys. Their "toys" would be anything they can hop up on, or scratch through (like piled up bedding or litter).

As far as survival rate, are you ordering from a hatchery or going to a feed store/breeder? I have had zero chick losses thus far from health reasons, 1 death from an accident.

I always start immediatly! I never gave them toys, but sometimes i put a pipecleaner in there, that they chase eachother around with it.

rosemarythyme said:

I don't follow the instructions, I provide grit as soon as I get them (2-3 days old). I brood outdoors so mine do need the grit as they'll eat wood particles, dirt, bugs, etc.

As far as the shed, that should work fine for brooding. Preferably it would have some natural light inside as well as some ventilation (which most sheds should have).

Chickens don't really need toys. Their "toys" would be anything they can hop up on, or scratch through (like piled up bedding or litter).

As far as survival rate, are you ordering from a hatchery or going to a feed store/breeder? I have had zero chick losses thus far from health reasons, 1 death from an accident.

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I went to a feed store to get chicks from there. The shed has a window with a screen so natural light and ventilation comes in through there.

mygerbilprince said:

I went to a feed store to get chicks from there. The shed has a window with a screen so natural light and ventilation comes in through there.

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Since you're getting them from the store, that'll minimize deaths from shipping and it'll let you look for birds that are active and bright eyed. If the store employee grabs a chick that looks off to you, ask them to grab a different one.

I also like to offer them water with electrolytes or Poultry Nutri-Drench mixed in, to help bolster them through the stress of being shipped and then driven home.

Most should survive. Some sources claim a 90% survivability is to be expected. If I start with healthy chicks, I expect 100% survivability.
I start providing grit the day I start them on feed. The first couple days I just sprinkle a bit of chick (#1) grit on their feed and then I put it in a separate feeder. Most people say if you just give them chick starter they don't need grit because the grains in the feed are already ground.
However grit will further grind the ingredients thereby further improving uptake of nutrients when they get to the small intestine.
Grit helps develop the gizzard. I once sold some chicks to a friend and there ended up being too many cockerels. So I offered to trade one for a pullet. I wasn't planning on using him for breeding as I already had cockerels to butcher. He was from the same breed, same age, same hatch as my birds. I give my birds grit throughout their lives. Apparently my friend doesn't. Her bird's gizzard was half the size of my birds' gizzards.

rosemarythyme said:

Since you're getting them from the store, that'll minimize deaths from shipping and it'll let you look for birds that are active and bright eyed. If the store employee grabs a chick that looks off to you, ask them to grab a different one.

I also like to offer them water with electrolytes or Poultry Nutri-Drench mixed in, to help bolster them through the stress of being shipped and then driven home.

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I bought electrolytes to put in the water and I will make sure the ones I get are healthy!

double post

mygerbilprince said:

So on most packaging of grit for chicks it says not to start them on it until they are 2 weeks old, do they need to have grit before then?

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If they eat commercial chick starter, and drink water, they do not NEED grit. They will digest the food well enough even without grit. (Grit before 2 weeks can be fine, and may even be helpful, but it is not absolutely required.)

You stated that your shed has a window with a screen for ventilation and light. You're going to need to cover that with hardware cloth to protect them from predators as screen won't keep them out. If you have any openings that are large enough for rodents you'll need to address that issue too.
What heat source do you intend to use?