How much grit do I feed daily to 4 hens and 1 rooster?

Any idea anyone?

You don't have to feed grit to your birds. You should be feeding them laying pellets, the rooster is fine eating it as well. If you want to give them some type of supplement such as grit or oyster shell-my choice- then all you have to do is put it out in a small feeder or open container and they will eat what they need and it won't be very much. Modern day layer feed has all the grit and calcium your birds need so it is your choice if you decide to offer them anything else.

Thank you LoneOak. I was under the impression that if I was feeding them laying mash, I also needed to buy grit. Thats good to know. Mine just started laying yesterday and tomorrow, I am going into town to get what they need. Good advice.

I was just thinking, as tough as their shells are now, if I fed them grit, I may never get that egg outta that shell...

Grit isn't going to make the shells harder, that's calcium.
I supply grit free choice on the side (I need to get a small feeder for grit yet, as mine have been wasteful) if your chickens are getting any treats besides the mash, they should have grit, or if they are free ranging, the mash or commercial pellets break down and digest easily so they don't need grit if that's all they get. My chicks have had grit since they were a week old, just to be safe, and they seem to have needed it, until this week, they would pick through a bowl of grit quickly, and have just slowed down, they wil only eat what they need of it.

If your birds get to go outside and play in the dirt they get sll the grit they need, You can provide them with s little oyster shell to keep their calcium level up which makes nice thick strong egg shells. There is no real difference in laying mash and laying pellets from the same supplier as far as ingredients, Pellets are just press formed mash and usually sold to small consumers like us, mash is more for commercial operations with automatic feeders that have srews that move the feed.

Laying pellets is really the only feed your birds need. I like to give mine 3way scratch to keep them scratching in the dirt and as a treat. I stop by the local discount return bread store and buy their feed bread ocassionally, .50 cents per loaf and they won't put it in a consumer take out bag, you have to carry out the loaves in the bag its packaged in. I also stop by the local flea market and go by the produce dealer and get her throwaway fruit for free, she will give me a bag and say take it all! My birds are well feed with a variety to keep them from getting bored.

LoneOak, I have been giving my birds garden throwaways. They seem to enjoy it. They seemed to want something different that they werent getting and that worried me. I have a hen who is a Plymouth Rock and she has diarreah and puffs a lot like she is gasping for breath. Should I isolate her? Is this something she can pass to my other birds? I am just beside myself. I had birds about 20 yrs ago but I never had these kinds of problems.

Quote: Hi,
Ok. Go to the store and get adult size grit for your birds. Both hens and roosters can eat it. Grit has nothing to do with egg production. Grit is being confused with oyster shell which gives the layers added calcium for harder shells.
Are you familiar with a chickens digestion system? Chickens don't have teeth so they can't chew their food. Chickens have a gizzard. That thing we put in the gravy at Thanksgiving. The chicken eats grit. The grit sits in the gizzard. When the bird eats food, the food gets to the gizzard and the grit grinds it up like our teeth do to our food. The food passes on thru the digestive tract and finishes being digested. Asking your bird to eat without grit is like someone asking you to take out your teeth and eat a regular meal. Yes, commercial mash is easy to digest. But withholding such a variable as grit from your chicken's diet is just asking for trouble. If you give them grit and decide to give them treats their digestive tracts will already be prepared to properly digest it. Since your birds aren't youngsters, get adult size grit. You should be able to buy it by the pound at the feed mill store ( like Agway, where I pay 33 cents a lb. for it) instead of expensive little bags like some chain stores sell.
Best,
Karen
Just fill a cup with the grit. They will eat it as they need it. Keep it filled.

Quote: Take this post to the emergency and sickness thread. This bird needs treatment.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures
Best,
Karen

3riverschick, did you read the entire topic or just the first post? We explained the difference between simple grit and oyster shell for calcium to Annasg in pretty good detail. Anna, I have never given my birds extra grit in more than 12 year of having chickens, they get all they need from the dirt outside. I bought one 25 lb bag of oyster a long time back, give it to them free choice and still have at least half of it left. I have never seen one of my birds have a diarhea problem either. I'm not familiar with your birds wheezing problem so I can't help you there.