Grit consumption

kristenm1975

Songster
11 Years
Jul 23, 2008
831
18
163
Seattle, WA
I just installed a free choice bin of grit in the coop three days ago and put a nearly full bag of grit in it. I noticed this morning its all but gone. My girls are around two months and are on starter feed with very few treats. They have wood shavings in their run and some tall grass pokes through the wire. I've seen them nibble at it but I don't think they've gotten much. Does this rate of consumption seem healthy? I have 14 hens.
 
around here a bag of grit is 50 lbs. How big is the bag you are talking about?

You probably know that chickens love grass...and greens...and that its good for them. Is your starter highly processed into crumble and pellets? Or is it ground grain? If it isn't highly processed, they will still need grit.

If all they have is starter, and it is highly processed powder formed into pellets or crumble, and no access to ground, could be they are just interested in something different - if the grit container is in the coop, maybe they beaked it out and it is in the coop litter?
 
I'm guessing it was about five pounds. Their feed is a crumble form but there are chunky bits like split peas etc. Good thought about looking in their litter. Its nice and fresh and fluffy at this point because I just dumped it in there so its possible the heavier grit would sink right through. Thanks!

When I do give them treats, its almost always fresh wild greens. I love my healthy girls.
 
Okay, they did it again! I put in a five pound bag of chick grit and it was entirely gone two days later. My chickens are full of rocks! Does anyone else have this happen? Kind of worried!
 
At 2 months they're too big for chick grit (#1). It is only for the first 3 weeks.
If they're LF, they would have even graduated from #2 grit by now. It's for 4-6 weeks.
By 2 months they should have adult grit so perhaps that's the problem.
Chick grit will pass right through the gizzard of birds that age.
 

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