Chickens eating rocks?!

[lauralc18]

We have free range chickens in a very landscaped backyard.....(we are also new to this) they are 15 weeks old. We still have them on starter feed until they start laying (per advice from where we got them) they have grit, they have a dust bath...but I just watched the whole lot of them down pebbles from our rock garden..... how can they digest those?!?! Is that normal?!?!

 

[centrarchid]

They may have interest in grit that differs in size relative to already provide. They may also be ingesting such material (geophagy) because it provides some nutrient they are short on. They are likely too young to need calcium at levels associated with egg production.

 

[chickens really]

It is normal. My chickens eat pretty much anything they find while out foraging.
The pebbles wont hurt them at all.

 

[MyChickenCookie]

Try offering the stones that they are eating along with grit. It seems as if you don't want them slowly eating up your landscaped yard, so just get some specifically for your chickens. It may be expensive, but that's the price you pay (no pun intended) for free range chickens.