Do I Really Need Probiotics & Grit For My Chicks?

Congratulations on your new feathered friends! Like humans, chickens need to maintain a healthy gut with beneficial bacteria for optimal health. There are two main supplements that chickens should have, especially as chicks. Those are probiotics and grit. Below is some information regarding the benefits to these products and how best to use them.

Probiotics are important throughout a chicken’s life, but they are most commonly used in the beginning stages.

Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms intended to maintain or improve the "good" bacteria (normal microflora) in the body. While there are a number of “good bacteria” that aid in digestion, some of the most common ones to promote a good probiotic culture are Bifidobacterium, Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Bacillus and Streptococcus. The Co-Op sells two probiotics for chickens: Sav-A-Chick Probiotic and Durvet Probiotics.

Probiotics at the younger stages of a chicken’s life are important, as they help prevent ‘pasty butt’. Pasty butt is a common health problem in younger chicks, and it is caused by the soft poop sticking to the vent area. This then dries and hardens, not allowing further bowel movements to pass. This condition can become fatal quickly, so immediate treatment is necessary. While pasty butt can be cured by a warm, damp cloth to soften and remove the excrement, prevention is often easier. Feeding your chicks probiotics will help them form firmer bowel movements, helping to prevent the issue.

Allowing your chickens to consume grit is equally as important. Even if you stop feeding probiotics after chickens reach adulthood, grit should be provided throughout the life of the chicken. Grit is critical in the mechanical digestion of feed in poultry. Without teeth, chickens use grit to break down food by grinding action. As chickens eat, the food is deposited into the crop where it is ground by grit before it is sent to the stomach. Most grit is insoluble and remains in the chicken, usually in the gizzard, for prolonged periods. Grit can consist of a number of things, however, it is most commonly stone, like granite. If you are feeding grains and pellets grit is especially important. Oyster shells can also function like grit; however, the main purpose of feeding oyster shells is to supplement calcium in the bird's diet.

While chickens might consume some things that can constitute grit if they are free range, it is important to provide grit to all chickens to ensure they have sufficient quantities. The Co-Op has soluble and insoluble options. A soluble option is Oyster Shells and two insoluble options are Poultry Grit and Chick Grit.