chicken grit/crushed oyster shell

[pdirt]

Quote:
Originally Posted by pdirt /img/forum/go_quote.gif They have a bag labeled "chicken grit" but it's really crushed oyster shell? If so, your feed store doesn't know their stuff as it relates to chickens. Oyster shell cannot be used as grit, it's too soft. You need hard rock, such as crushed granite. If you're feeding your birds layer feed and they are also quickly going through the oyster shell, they may be attempting to use the oyster shell as grit, if they have nothing else available to them to function as grit. They would also be getting way too much calcium.
Often "Grit" is labeled as soluble or insoluble grit. Soluble would be the crushed oyster shells. Insoluble would be the crushed granite.

Well, I stand corrected! Thanks RonP, I had no idea grit was labeled that way. Sure is a good way to confuse newbies...that there are two kinds of grit and each have a vastly different function. Around here, I've never seen it labeled that way nor have I ever heard anyone refer to grit as soluable or insoluable. It's just "grit" and "crushed oyster shell".

 

[RonP]

Often we learn by experience.

I knew that what I was looking for, was not what they gave me, and actually educated my feed store employee to the differences.

 

[aart]

Quote:
Originally Posted by pdirt

They have a bag labeled "chicken grit" but it's really crushed oyster shell? If so, your feed store doesn't know their stuff as it relates to chickens.

Oyster shell cannot be used as grit, it's too soft. You need hard rock, such as crushed granite. If you're feeding your birds layer feed and they are also quickly going through the oyster shell, they may be attempting to use the oyster shell as grit, if they have nothing else available to them to function as grit. They would also be getting way too much calcium.


Often "Grit" is labeled as soluble or insoluble grit.

Soluble would be the crushed oyster shells.



Insoluble would be the crushed granite.

Ahh....I did not know this!

The terminology used by the OP here make sense now.