Am I feeding my chickens the right grit?

[Nooreddin]

So, a couple days ago I bought grit for the first time for my chickens and the workers suggested we bu "silica grit". Im not sure if thats the right one?

 

[R2elk]

So, a couple days ago I bought grit for the first time for my chickens and the workers suggested we buy "silica grit". I'm not sure if that's the right one?

Much of the grit sold is granite. Silica grit would be fine if the grit size is large enough. Sand is silica but if it is not in large enough grains it can be bad if it is the only source of grit.

 

[Nooreddin]

Much of the grit sold is granite. Silica grit would be fine if the grit size is large enough. Sand is silica but if it is not in large enough grains it can be bad if it is the only source of grit.

Yea there was a #1-#3 size and they suggested a #2 which is around the size of a pebble

 

[R2elk]

Yea there was a #1-#3 size and they suggested a #2 which is around the size of a pebble

That should be fine.

 

[Nooreddin]

That should be fine.

Thank You!

 

[Sparrowsong98]

You know, my chickens always eat what they find in their yard, or under the coop when they free range. Never bought them anything. Then occasionally, they go pick something up from the driveway, and we have never had any crop problems with them.

 

[farmerbrowne]

I also have them eat what they find but in winter that's when the grit consumption goes up significantly nearly 100lb a year

 

[Fairview01]

You know, my chickens always eat what they find in their yard, or under the coop when they free range. Never bought them anything. Then occasionally, they go pick something up from the driveway, and we have never had any crop problems with them.

+1

I'm surprised at how my chickens thrive despite my benign neglect. i buy a bag of pebbles from home depot every now and again and chunk some in the runs when I remember. I only do that because they don't get to free range very often and I feed roasted soybeans as a supplement to their pellets. As hard as the soybeans are they could probably use them as grit. The gIzzard is an amazing organ.

Oh yeah, I keep home depot construction sand in front of the hatchlings from day 2.

 

[Nooreddin]

I also have them eat what they find but in winter that's when the grit consumption goes up significantly nearly 100lb a year

Thanks for the reply! I'll keep at in mind!

 

[Nooreddin]

You know, my chickens always eat what they find in their yard, or under the coop when they free range. Never bought them anything. Then occasionally, they go pick something up from the driveway, and we have never had any crop problems with them.

My chicken don't necessarily "free range" but I do let them out in the yard for an hour or so every other day, does that count?