How long does grit last once they eat it?

Date sort Score sort
DreamsInPink

DreamsInPink

Songster
5 Years
Feb 25, 2016
591
22
136
Salt Fork Lake Region, Ohio
I'm just wondering if I need to keep re-feeding it to them? They aren't getting much other than their crumbles.. just a dried mealworm now and then... most of them grab them from my fingers but I'm pretty sure they just drop them. :rolleyes:
 
It will stick around in the gizzard until it's ground down small enough to pass... For hard appropriately sized granite or quartz this likely takes several days to a week maybe longer depending on diet, for soluble grits like limestone or stuff that is borderline too small maybe a day or two if that long...

Best to offer it free choice every day, the birds know when they need more...
 
Last edited:
Ok, thank you. I'm not sure what mine is made of. I keep giving it to them, but they are dumping it and messing in the bowl. I feel like I'm wasting a lot of it. Oi, I can not wait to get these kids in the coop.
 
I just use construction sand, since I free range and my yard was a flooded mess when we moved here. We put in several tons of gravel and then sand over it. My husband does construction so we end up with a lot of sand anyways. when they are chicks I just sprinkle it around their brooder/pen.
 
DreamsInPink said:
I'm just wondering if I need to keep re-feeding it to them? They aren't getting much other than their crumbles.. just a dried mealworm now and then... most of them grab them from my fingers but I'm pretty sure they just drop them.
roll.png
Click to expand...

I just gave mine a few live mealworms yesterday; they didn't know what to make of them
smile.png
One girl did grab one and run away from the others with it. I had the chicks in a wire dog crate outside, so I'm not sure if the other worms got eaten or managed to crawl away. Oh well, they'll figure it out eventually! I give them some parakeet grit(because I had it) and some sand/gravel from the yard.
 
ccrow said:
I just gave mine a few live mealworms yesterday; they didn't know what to make of them:)   One girl did grab one and run away from the others with it. I had the chicks in a wire dog crate outside, so I'm not sure if the other worms got eaten or managed to crawl away. Oh well, they'll figure it out eventually! I give them some parakeet grit(because I had it) and some sand/gravel from the yard.
Click to expand...


I've never tried feeding live ones.. though I would like to pick up some crickets from the pet shop soon. :D
 

Similar threads

SuperC
    • Like
Chicks scream for wet food- do I give in?
Replies
8
Views
481
K0k0shka
K0k0shka
FromAnotherCity
Grit in chicken feed?
Replies
9
Views
928
rosemarythyme
rosemarythyme
H
    • Like
Fermented food?
2
Replies
10
Views
1K
Chickengirl209
C
ForFlocksSake
    • Like
Chick crumbles seems so wasteful
Replies
8
Views
2K
yakitori
yakitori
L
Chickens eating all the food within first two hours
Replies
6
Views
958
littlecoopnextdoor
L

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom