Product Description
Essential Digestive Aid for Baby Chicks and Small Birds
Give your growing chicks the digestive support they need with Manna Pro Small Sized Chick Grit! This specially sized insoluble grit is formulated specifically for baby chicks and small poultry, featuring tiny granite particles perfectly suited for their delicate digestive systems. Essential for proper digestion and nutrient absorption, chick grit acts as "teeth" in the gizzard, grinding food into digestible particles so your young birds can thrive.
Why Chicks Need Grit:
Unlike mammals, birds don't have teeth to chew their food. Instead, they rely on grit—small, hard particles—stored in their gizzard (a muscular stomach) to grind and break down food. Without adequate grit, chicks can't properly digest their feed, especially whole grains, seeds, and fibrous materials. This can lead to poor nutrition, impacted crops, and stunted growth. Manna Pro Chick Grit provides the solution in the perfect size for tiny beaks and developing digestive systems.
Key Benefits:
- Perfectly Sized for Chicks: Extra-small granite particles for young birds
- Aids Digestion: Grinds food in the gizzard for optimal nutrient absorption
- Prevents Crop Issues: Helps prevent impaction and digestive problems
- Supports Healthy Growth: Better digestion means better nutrition
- All-Natural Granite: Insoluble, safe, and effective
- Free-Choice Format: Chicks consume what they need
- 5 lb Value Size: Lasts through the critical early weeks
- Trusted Manna Pro Quality: Over 100 years of poultry nutrition expertise
How Grit Works:
When chicks eat, food travels to the crop (a storage pouch) and then to the gizzard, a powerful muscular organ. Grit stored in the gizzard acts like millstones, grinding and crushing food particles as the gizzard contracts. This mechanical digestion breaks down tough seed hulls, grains, and fibrous materials, making nutrients available for absorption in the intestines.
Perfect For:
- Baby chicks from hatch to 8 weeks
- Small bantam chickens
- Young quail and game birds
- Any small poultry requiring fine-sized grit
- Chicks eating anything beyond commercial starter crumbles
- Free-range chicks with access to plants and insects
- Indoor-raised chicks without access to natural grit sources
When Chicks Need Grit:
Day 1-Week 1: If feeding only commercial chick starter crumbles, grit is optional
Week 2+: Introduce grit when offering any treats, greens, or whole grains
Free-Range Chicks: Essential if they're pecking at grass, insects, or seeds
All Chicks: Recommended for optimal digestive health and development
Signs Your Chicks May Need Grit:
- Eating whole seeds, grains, or cracked corn
- Access to grass, weeds, or plants
- Consuming kitchen scraps or treats
- Free-ranging outside the brooder
- Slow growth or poor feed conversion
- Crop issues or digestive problems
Size Matters:
Standard grit designed for adult chickens is too large for baby chicks and can cause choking or impaction. Manna Pro Small Sized Chick Grit features appropriately tiny particles that are:
- Safe for small beaks and throats
- Easy for young birds to swallow
- Effective in small gizzards
- Perfectly proportioned for chicks up to 8 weeks
How to Use:
Free-Choice Method (Recommended):
- Offer grit in a small, shallow dish separate from food and water
- Place near the chick feeder for easy access
- Allow chicks to consume as needed—they'll self-regulate
- Keep available at all times
- Refill as needed; keep dry
Amount Needed: Chicks will consume small amounts—a 5 lb bag will last through the entire brooder period for most small to medium-sized flocks.
Important Feeding Notes:
- Never mix grit into feed
- Provide in a separate container for free-choice access
- Keep grit dry; moisture reduces effectiveness
- Replace if contaminated with droppings
- Continue offering through 8 weeks, then transition to regular-sized grit
Grit vs. Oyster Shell:
These are different products for different purposes:
Chick Grit:
- Insoluble (doesn't dissolve)
- Stays in gizzard to grind food
- For all chicks regardless of sex
- Essential for digestion
Oyster Shell:
- Soluble calcium supplement
- Dissolves to provide calcium
- Only for laying hens (18+ weeks)
- For eggshell formation
Transitioning to Adult Grit:
Around 8 weeks of age, as chicks grow into pullets, transition from small chick grit to regular-sized poultry grit. The larger particles are more appropriate for their fully developed digestive systems and bigger gizzards.
The Manna Pro Advantage:
For over a century, Manna Pro has been the trusted name in poultry nutrition and health. Their chick grit is carefully sized and selected to ensure optimal safety and effectiveness for young birds. Quality-controlled processing ensures consistent particle size and purity.
Natural Granite:
Made from natural granite, Manna Pro Chick Grit is:
- Insoluble and long-lasting in the gizzard
- Hard enough to effectively grind food
- Free from harmful contaminants
- Safe and natural for young birds
Storage:
Store in a cool, dry place. Keep the bag sealed or transfer to an airtight container. Grit has an indefinite shelf life when stored properly and kept dry.
Give your chicks the digestive support they need to grow strong and healthy with Manna Pro Small Sized Chick Grit!
FEEDING DIRECTIONS
Age Range: Chicks from hatch through 8 weeks
Method: Free-choice in separate container
Amount: Allow chicks to self-regulate intake
When to Start: When offering any food beyond commercial starter crumbles
Frequency: Keep available at all times
Location: Place near food and water in brooder
IMPORTANT GUIDELINES
✓ Use small-sized grit for chicks up to 8 weeks
✓ Transition to regular grit around 8-10 weeks
✓ Provide free-choice, never mixed with feed
✓ Essential if chicks eat anything beyond starter crumbles
✓ Especially important for free-range chicks
✓ Keep dry for maximum effectiveness
✗ Not a calcium supplement (use oyster shell for laying hens)
✗ Not a substitute for proper nutrition
SIZE COMPARISON
Small Chick Grit: 0-8 weeks (this product)
Regular Poultry Grit: 8+ weeks (transition product)
Large Grit: Adult chickens, turkeys, waterfowl
STORAGE
- Store in cool, dry location
- Keep container sealed to prevent moisture
- Protect from contamination
- Indefinite shelf life when stored properly