Do Not Use Crushed Granite!!!

[SourRoses]

Any chicken that consumes too much grit just because it's mixed in the feed would have to be starving.
I've top dressed it on feed before (not my preferred method) and find the grit left behind in the bottom of the feeder.

I've seen problems from chickens NOT receiving grit, none from providing it.
I raise my birds in different areas depending on age, and we live on sand, so sometimes a container will run out of grit and I don't catch it for a while. Mine go through a lot compared to others reports, likely because they have no natural sources.
Their crops are usually what alerts me, especially the young ones. So I put out the grit and the next day their crops empty at a normal rate.
I tend to believe expert types who confidently state things, so I've tried leaving the chickens to "find their own" on two separate trials (different properties). On both occasions, I dealt with sour crop issues.
Coincidence? Maybe. Worth repeatedly testing? Nope.

 

[tlcmurphy]

They are still technically chicks, but they’re 11 1/2 weeks old and HUGE (to me, anyway.)

It’s more than a bit irritating to a noob like me that “chick” covers everything from wet from the egg to day before they lay. I don’t need these extra challenges!

At that age you can go ahead and switch to an All Flock if you want, just don’t switch to a Layer feed until most are laying (too much calcium). As the age, chickens can always have feed designed for younger birds, ie they can have starter/grower at any time (I feed it when they’re molting).

 

[SourRoses]

They are still technically chicks, but they’re 11 1/2 weeks old and HUGE (to me, anyway.)

It’s more than a bit irritating to a noob like me that “chick” covers everything from wet from the egg to day before they lay. I don’t need these extra challenges!

Yeah that bothers us too, so we call them juveniles, shortened to "Juvies" since they start to act naughty in the teenage phase, tipping over feeders, pooping in the water, flying into their friends, digging holes to china, etc. With their feathers sticking out awkwardly as they grow in, lol.
So we lock them behind HW Cloth bars in Juvie detention.

 

[ChaosMom]

At that age you can go ahead and switch to an All Flock if you want, just don’t switch to a Layer feed until most are laying (too much calcium). As the age, chickens can always have feed designed for younger birds, ie they can have starter/grower at any time (I feed it when they’re molting).

Thanks. I haven't found whole-grain all flock yet that I like (I wish corn and soy weren't the first and second-listed ingredients in this one). Meanwhile, I have another bag of Chickhouse Reserve and a bag of Henhouse Reserve for when the time comes in the feed can, so this is pretty much where I am for the next couple of months!

#AmortizingTheChickenFeed

 

[ChaosMom]

Yeah that bothers us too, so we call them juveniles, shortened to "Juvies" since they start to act naughty in the teenage phase, tipping over feeders, pooping in the water, flying into their friends, digging holes to china, etc. With their feathers sticking out awkwardly as they grow in, lol.
So we lock them behind HW Cloth bars in Juvie detention.

That's pretty much us right now! When I was still fretting about optimal layout of HWC aprons to protect from critters from digging in, they were busily trying to dig OUT. Lil stinkers.

 

[FrostRanger]

I think in OP's case either
1. The vet was mistaken or OP misunderstood something the vet said

Or less likely

2. What happened to their bird was a freak occurrence

Either way, you're far far far more likely to run into issues not providing grit than providing it

 

[FrostRanger]

Any chicken that consumes too much grit just because it's mixed in the feed would have to be starving.
I've top dressed it on feed before (not my preferred method) and find the grit left behind in the bottom of the feeder.

I've seen problems from chickens NOT receiving grit, none from providing it.
I raise my birds in different areas depending on age, and we live on sand, so sometimes a container will run out of grit and I don't catch it for a while. Mine go through a lot compared to others reports, likely because they have no natural sources.
Their crops are usually what alerts me, especially the young ones. So I put out the grit and the next day their crops empty at a normal rate.
I tend to believe expert types who confidently state things, so I've tried leaving the chickens to "find their own" on two separate trials (different properties). On both occasions, I dealt with sour crop issues.
Coincidence? Maybe. Worth repeatedly testing? Nope.

Agreed, I always tell people who ask if they need to provide grit even if their birds have x or y that even if the answer is probably no, a small bag of grit is 8 bucks and never goes bad, I think that's a small price to pay for peace of mind. Worst case scenario is their birds never use it and all is well. Best case scenario is they use it and it prevents losses from crop issues. It just doesn't hurt to provide it regardless

 

[K0k0shka]

So this raises an interesting dilemma. Many, if not most, commercial feeds already include grit. (At any rate, my Kalmbach Chickhouse Reserve does.)

So do we provide grit, or no?

The meaning of the word "grit" can vary regionally. In some places they say "grit" to mean shell (calcium), though in most of the US it tends to mean "rocks" meant for digestion, not for calcium. People on forums tend to confuse the two frequently. So it would be good to look up what that label means when it says "grit". Grit in the sense of rock is not added to standard feed, because standard poultry feed is pre-ground and water soluble and doesn't need rough digestion the way other foods do, like whole grains or plants. So commercial feeds don't include grit because they don't have to, as they are meant for commercial poultry operations where the chickens eat poultry feed exclusively and have no access to anything else. But if you have backyard chickens that get treats, grass, bugs, etc. then they will need grit. Depending on your type of soil and whether they free range or not, they may be able to find enough rocks on their own, but that's not a given. A bag of grit is cheap and lasts a very long time, so it doesn't make sense *not* to provide it for them, just in case.

 

[ChaosMom]

The meaning of the word "grit" can vary regionally. In some places they say "grit" to mean shell (calcium), though in most of the US it tends to mean "rocks" meant for digestion, not for calcium. People on forums tend to confuse the two frequently. So it would be good to look up what that label means when it says "grit". Grit in the sense of rock is not added to standard feed, because standard poultry feed is pre-ground and water soluble and doesn't need rough digestion the way other foods do, like whole grains or plants. So commercial feeds don't include grit because they don't have to, as they are meant for commercial poultry operations where the chickens eat poultry feed exclusively and have no access to anything else. But if you have backyard chickens that get treats, grass, bugs, etc. then they will need grit. Depending on your type of soil and whether they free range or not, they may be able to find enough rocks on their own, but that's not a given. A bag of grit is cheap and lasts a very long time, so it doesn't make sense *not* to provide it for them, just in case.

Makes sense!

I will point out, however, that this is a whole grain feed and not pre-ground. (I do ferment it for separate reasons.) And I would hope that they wouldn’t add oyster shell to chick feed.

But I agree that for pellet and crumble feeds, (digestive) grit wouldn’t make sense.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some folks will sprinkle grit on chick’s feed instead of having it separate. I wouldn’t mix it with adult feed though

I do that for chicks in order to put the grit right in front of them, while preventing them from gorging on it because there's been multiple stories on here about chicks gorging on grit when given a whole dish of it. I've seen stories about adults doing that as well but it's far more uncommon, and perhaps that's what happened to the OP's bird.

Makes sense!

I will point out, however, that this is a whole grain feed and not pre-ground. (I do ferment it for separate reasons.) And I would hope that they wouldn’t add oyster shell to chick feed.

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But I agree that for pellet and crumble feeds, (digestive) grit wouldn’t make sense.

Looking at their photo of what's in the bag I don't see either see granite or oyster shell - since you ferment it, have you tried watering it down a bit more and seeing what filters out? I'm really curious since it is listed.