Confused!

[Chuckkeeper]

Hi all
Trying to work out how to feed one roo plus growers and layers together.
I plan to use all flock, plus grit and then oyster offered separately.
I've got a bag of this:

It says on the bag mixed grid with "soft soluble calcium".
https://www.millbryhill.co.uk/pets-...QV1iPD91AsBdf6X-leh-7zUuuH71nSdcaAubVEALw_wcB

Is this already oyster and grit combined? It looks like it has shell as well as grit but no mention of oyster!

 

[azygous]

"Soft soluble calcium" is likely oyster shell. Take a photo of the ingredients tag. We'll try to sort it out for you.

 

[Chuckkeeper]

"Soft soluble calcium" is likely oyster shell. Take a photo of the ingredients tag. We'll try to sort it out for you.

Thanks.
I've got one roo (15wk) and hopefully 7 pulls (10-15wk). My plan was to offer growers to all until all pulls are laying at which point I can move to layers. In between the first starting to lay and the last, I thought I needed to offer grit (for all) and oyster (for those that are laying but not getting extra calcium from the growers pellets), but this bag appears to do both? Any advice appreciated

 

[azygous]

Both hard grit, likely granite, and oyster shell are mixed in with the feed. Neither is ideal, though.

Feed out the bag and then buy another brand without these two components added. They should each be offered free choice separately so each chicken can judge their own need for grit and calcium. By mixing it into the feed, some will get more than they need, and some not enough.

Chickens know when they need fresh grit for their gizzard and they hunt the ground for suitable gravel to replace worn gravel (grit) that is pooped out when it is too worn to properly grind up food. Sort of like dull garbage disposal blades.

Calcium needs set up an individual craving, and the hen will consume what she needs from any available container you provide with oyster shell.

 

[Chuckkeeper]

Both hard grit, likely granite, and oyster shell are mixed in with the feed. Neither is ideal, though.

Feed out the bag and then buy another brand without these two components added. They should each be offered free choice separately so each chicken can judge their own need for grit and calcium. By mixing it into the feed, some will get more than they need, and some not enough.

Chickens know when they need fresh grit for their gizzard and they hunt the ground for suitable gravel to replace worn gravel (grit) that is pooped out when it is too worn to properly grind up food. Sort of like dull garbage disposal blades.

Calcium needs set up an individual craving, and the hen will consume what she needs from any available container you provide with oyster shell.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply in such depth. You are clearly quite the expert

Can I please clarify a couple of things:

You said they are mixed in with the feed but there isn't any feed in this bag? Did I get that right? It's been a long day!!

So the bag includes grit & calcium combined, and next time, I want to buy & offer these two things seperately?

I assume that if grit & calcium are mixed (as they are here) then chucks can't distinguish between it in order to meet that specific need?

Thanks again

 

[azygous]

My mistake. I assumed the grit and calcium were mixed with feed in that bag.

But the same thing applies. Chicken behavior dictates they will waste the substance they don't need by shoving it out of the container with their beaks to get to what they need.

Waste is one reason to keep food, grit, and calcium carbonate all separate. The other reason is so a chicken can easily select the substance she is craving without needing to sort through a mixture.

You see this all the time when companies market products to derive maximum profit. This strategy doesn't provide what the customer needs. The company instead packages more products together to force the customer to buy more than they need. When was the last time you could go to a hardware store and buy just one screw? Or for that matter, just one screw driver?

 

[Chuckkeeper]

My mistake. I assumed the grit and calcium were mixed with feed in that bag.

But the same thing applies. Chicken behavior dictates they will waste the substance they don't need by shoving it out of the container with their beaks to get to what they need.

Waste is one reason to keep food, grit, and calcium carbonate all separate. The other reason is so a chicken can easily select the substance she is craving without needing to sort through a mixture.

You see this all the time when companies market products to derive maximum profit. This strategy doesn't provide what the customer needs. The company instead packages more products together to force the customer to buy more than they need. When was the last time you could go to a hardware store and buy just one screw? Or for that matter, just one screw driver?

Very helpful indeed. Thanks so much.

I'll somehow try to use the 25kg of mixed and then move to separate calcium & grit - though everything in the stores here does seem to be mixed!

I am thinking growers + chick grit separate before they are all laying (inc for roo)
Then, layers + grit + oyster (separate) once all are laying (inc for roo)

Anyway, I'm off to buy a screw. Wish me luck!

https://www.thehandlestudio.co.uk/c...KdQeI4aAtwcEALw_wcB#/138-length-9mm_in_length

 

[NatJ]

I assume that if grit & calcium are mixed (as they are here) then chucks can't distinguish between it in order to meet that specific need?

I would assume they will be able to distinguish. But I have no way to check my assumption or yours, other than to experiment.

Since you have that bag, I suggest you just put some out in a new container and see what happens. Either they will be able to tell (and will waste the parts they do not need). Or they will not be able to tell, so they will have to treat it all like oyster shell. (Doing that won't hurt them: layers would eat extra because it's not pure oyster shell, non-layers would avoid it because it's part oyster shell.)

If you are currently offering other grit, maybe a chick size, then it would be good to keep that available too.

 

[Chuckkeeper]

I would assume they will be able to distinguish. But I have no way to check my assumption or yours, other than to experiment.

Since you have that bag, I suggest you just put some out in a new container and see what happens. Either they will be able to tell (and will waste the parts they do not need). Or they will not be able to tell, so they will have to treat it all like oyster shell. (Doing that won't hurt them: layers would eat extra because it's not pure oyster shell, non-layers would avoid it because it's part oyster shell.)

If you are currently offering other grit, maybe a chick size, then it would be good to keep that available too.

Thank you. OR I could annoy the other half and tell them that I have to DESTROY the bag! Perhaps I need to work on the assumption that if a chicken can differentiate between one bowl and another then they can also differentiate between the two things in one bowl.

 

[NatJ]

Perhaps I need to work on the assumption that if a chicken can differentiate between one bowl and another then they can also differentiate between the two things in one bowl.

It's pretty well known that if you give chickens a bowl of mixed grains, or a mix of pellets and whole grains, they will pick out some kinds to eat and waste other kinds (usually by shoving them out on the floor.)

So they can clearly distinguish some kinds of things in one bowl!