Grit and oyster shell?

[cicene mete]

Should I be giving my hens grit and oyster shell, or is oyster shell enough?

I've heard conflicting advice on whether oyster shell is a substitute for grit. We just started putting our chickens and a small chicken tractor for a few hours a day, and the grass is pretty rough (early spring in Massachusetts). I'm getting a lot of cecal poops, and it makes me think that maybe the oyster shell is not enough and I need to add some grit.

Thanks!

 

[mistylady]

I give both. The grit I toss out on the coop floor during the winter and they fluffed in it more than ate it. Now they can go outside but I still see them snacking on grit and shell both.

 

[gritsar]

It's my understanding that oyster shell is not a substitute for grit. I left my oyster shell and grit feeders outside once while I cleaned the coop and forgot it. After it rained the OS had started to turn to chalk; not so of the grit. "Chalk" is not going to work to grind up their food.