The Scoop On Grit (Help me Understand)

Hey, folks! Pretty new to BYC and raising poultry in general. We're starting off small with three hens, but I can already feel the itch to add more to the flock. I had a few questions in regards to grit...

I understand that free-range chickens don't necessarily need grit. The chickens forage for food and find pebbles, sand, etc. on their own to help them digest.

I also understand that commercial feed is water soluble, so no grit is required. BUT...

... In a pinch, can I use other substances as grit (that is, not store-bought)? How much grit do chickens need if I'm giving them sporadic small treats? Can I throw a handful of dirt/pebbles into their run and call it a day? What size is best for grit? Are we talking sand-sized grains, or pea-sized pebbles? I've also read a couple of posts that mention using charcoal as a dietary supplement for chickens. Anyone have experience with this?

TIA!

Never heard of the charcoal, but if your girls free range they won't need grit. If not a bag of construction sand will work just fine as grit.This is the same sand they use to mix concrete with and most hardware stores or lumber yards will carry it. It will be around the bags of sacrete most of the time and costs 3-4 dollars. Just make sure not to get play sand, it doesn't have the small pebbles the construction sand does.

DanEP said:

Never heard of the charcoal, but if your girls free range they won't need grit. If not a bag of construction sand will work just fine as grit.This is the same sand they use to mix concrete with and most hardware stores or lumber yards will carry it. It will be around the bags of sacrete most of the time and costs 3-4 dollars. Just make sure not to get play sand, it doesn't have the small pebbles the construction sand does.

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Thanks!

Chickens can use almost any rock they find as grit. The rock or piece of rock will stay in their gizzard until it is ground into sand, then it passes on through and out the rear end. They use several different pieces at one time.

They can use a variety of sizes depending on their size. A grown full-sized chicken can use pebbles up to the size of a green pea. Baby chicks use pieces closer to coarse sand. Adults can use coarse sand too but it goes through their system pretty fast.

The harder the rock type the longer it lasts. The grit you buy is granite. When they quarry granite they run the debris over screens to sort out the sizes they want. Granite is really hard. A pea sized piece might last a month in their gizzard before it is ground down. Softer rocks last a lot less time. There is no good answer I’m aware of for how much grit they need. It depends on the grit they are eating.

You’d be surprised on how much grit they can get from most dirt but if you want you can just toss some small gravel in the run and let them search for it. They can self-regulate how much they eat. A good source of small gravel might be a sand or rock bar in a stream or river.

Chickens get calcium from oyster shell grit. It will make the egg shells good and hard to help prevent breakage. Depending on where you live, some rocks such as limestone contain calcium. We only had sandstone rocks where I grew up and we gave them oyster shells.

Late fall I gather some coarse sand and pebbles from the drive way into a small pail. Over winter I toss a handful into the run every three weeks to month as the ground here gets frozen solid from December to mid March.

There's a semantics issue here; grit is stone meant to be eaten by the birds, remain in the gizzard, and grind food. Oyster shell is a calcium source needed by laying hens for the shells. Different items, both necessary, for different purposes. Mary

Why doesn't crushed oyster shells help them grind their food?

That's a good question. Maybe because it's softer & it digests? My pullets are just starting to lay & they've been eating oyster shell about 3 weeks now. Tonight we had scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, & toast. My husband commented on how thick the shells are compared to store bought. I'm sure it's the oyster shell.

Oyster shell is meant to dissolve in the bird; grit is worn down in the gizzard. Different functions entirely. mary