Didn't think of this...no access to grit!

[rainbowgardens]

My birds always free-range, so I never think about grit. They pick up what they need in the yard.

Since our big snow, all the ground has been covered, and will be for a long time. I had to put down some bagged gravel in the path to the coop because of the slippery mess. My hens went wild pecking through it for little bits. I don't know how long they can go without grit in their gizzards, but they acted like they were starved for it!

Just wanted to mention this for others who may not be used to supplying it to their flocks. If the ground is covered, they can't get it.

 

[logansmommy7]

OH YEAH! I haven't even thought of that...our chickens are in misery...how about yours? We are in the Shenandoah Valley, VA and got 2 feet of snow...

 

[rainbowgardens]

We're in Botetourt county and got about 16 inches.
Mine just started venturing out onto the shoveled areas today. My dominiques are staying in the coop, but the speckled sussex are more brave. No one is going into the loose snow.

 

[busbees]

Hey fellow Virginians !

Quite a snow we had ! I live in Bedford and work in Lexington- got stuck in Lexington for 2 nights.

I have never had chickens- getting ready to build a coop and get some chicks this spring. If either of you have a coop with nest boxes that can be accessed externally, I would love to come take a look at it- I still am not sure exactly how to build it.

I will be using this forum a lot to learn on the go.

 

[rainbowgardens]

Sorry Busbees, my nestboxes are on the inside. Just plastic dishpans screwed to a shelf with wood boards wedged between them for privacy. Low tech here!

 

[Amethyste]

I have grit availiable for inside and outside. I throw some on the ground outside every so often so they can eat it "al fresco", and have it inside in a container as well in case it is bad weather and they cannot get out.

 

[sommrluv]

I'm in PA, and we got about 12-14 inches where I live. Not a lot, but my chickens aren't thrilled. lol

 

[rockstar]

To the new egg who wants to put nest boxes on the outside of the chicken house. We had two shelving units about 16 inches wide by 36 inches high with a shelf in the middle. We mounted the units sideways on the outside of the chicken house with two hinges on the bottom of each and one screw into the shelving unit at the top which went into a 2x4 part of the framing. We then went inside the chicken house and used a cat litter pail plastic top as a template to cut holes through the wall of the chicken house into the shelving unit. On the back outside of the shelving unit we cut a hole about 5 inches by 8 inches into each of the two sections of the laying boxes. We then used a ripped piece of wood and nailed over the top and bottom and then two more nailed to those to make rails to slide two piece of wood cut to fit over the access holes which slide back and forth between the top and bottom rails. It's best to keep the sliders a little snug. I'm sure you can get a lot more high tech, but we used whatever scraps we could find for cost control. It's great not having to fight the roosters to get to the eggs. Then hen house is layed out in such a way that we can see if someone is on the nest before sliding the doors back to get the eggs. We add more straw to the nests and keep them clean through the access doors also.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

OK So what about the grit? I can't get commercial grit in this area, my birds usually free range too and they've been stuck indoors for three days! Not a one of them will come out.

I took 6 eggs, shells and all and beat them good and scrambled them. I fed the whole thing to the girls and they loved it. Will that serve as grit and a return of calcium?

 

[chicks4kids]

I have WHAT in my yard? :

OK So what about the grit? I can't get commercial grit in this area, my birds usually free range too and they've been stuck indoors for three days! Not a one of them will come out.

I took 6 eggs, shells and all and beat them good and scrambled them. I fed the whole thing to the girls and they loved it. Will that serve as grit and a return of calcium?

You can use sand, but I doubt you'll find a source for calcium in that.​