Grit - do i give it all the time

[herbsherbsflowers]

I've tried to figure out from all the posts. I know they need grit before you start giving them treats, but then does it need to be continuously available for them.. I don't want them to get all filled up on sand.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I just add a little to their feed every day when they are in the coop. If they are out in their pen which is on the grass, then I toss a small handful in.

 

[riderbecky]

I provide it free choice all the time and will do the same with oyster shell when its time for them to be laying, around 18/19 weeks.

LOL, you should have seen the looks on the feed store people when I went in to ask for it. They said, "do you mean oyster shell?"..."No" I said, "chick grit". Then one of the guys says..."What about that stuff we ordered by mistake?" I thought it was hilarious that they mistakenly order the exact stuff that I was after.

 

[herbsherbsflowers]

Thanks. I had gone through one box of it and wondered if I need to get more.

 

[d.k]

* Chook gets regular feeding: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I put about a 1/2 tablespoon of mixed oyster shell and granite grit on top of her food.

 

[BearSwampChick]

Do I really need to buy grit when I have a whole sandbox full of it? It's washed river sand so it has lots of tiny pebbles in it, too.

 

[Must Be Losing It]

Didn't I read somewhere that if you're using oyster shells you don't also have to supply grit? Or am I thinking I read that?

 

[soctippy]

i have never bought grit (but i have bought oyster shell), I just use corse sand from our riding arena. offer them a variety of corse pebbels, or just let them out on a sandy area and they will find what they need. they don't need grit there all the time but its good to offer it to them like onece a week.

 

[All about the EGG]

I use sand from the kids box.

 

[poopcoop]

I have never used grit. My chickens go outside and there is no reason to supply it to them when they are pecking the groud and getting it for them self. A lot of feed stores don't know what you are talking about, because some feeds already contain it when formulated and most "Country Folk" only feed their chickens cracked corn.