Grit - does what goes in come out?

[stcroixusvi]

Do the chickens pass the grit they eat? I read that the grit gets lodged in the gizzard, but am wondering if they continuously eat it? Then it must go somewhere? Wears down, then passes?

 

[gale65]

Maybe it wears down as it's used.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Interesting question, but just think about it. If all the grit they've ever eaten did not pass, the chicken would weigh a half a ton!!!!

Of course, like all things, this too must pass.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Fred's Hens :

Interesting question, but just think about it. If all the grit they've ever eaten did not pass, the chicken would weigh a half a ton!!!!

Of course, like all things, this too must pass.

 

[stcroixusvi]

Fred's Hens :

Interesting question, but just think about it. If all the grit they've ever eaten did not pass, the chicken would weigh a half a ton!!!!

Of course, like all things, this too must pass.

This is my first time as a chicken owner, and my chicks are only 6+ weeks old, so I did not know if they stopped eating grit at some point. At the rate mine eat, they will weigh half a ton!

 

[moetrout]

It eventually gets ground up too (kind of ironic since it's purpose is to grind up food) and passed in their poo.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Very little, if any, grit comes out of the bird in the same size pieces it went in. Usually the gizzard does not allow anything to pass out of it into the intestines before it has been ground into goo. Of course the grit is being ground against itself and everything else so eventually it too becomes part of the goo and moves on through.

If you're seeing other than the rare chunky bits in your bird's manure they may be having some sort of problem.

When you first give grit to your birds they'll often gobble down a lot of it. After that though they'll only take a bit every now and again depending on how long it lasts.