Grit question

[John Sanders]

Since chickens get natural grit from the soil I just throw the grit on the ground. Is that ok? Also their run is on dirt undervtrees. There is not really any grit or gravel. Can they still get enough grit naturally?

 

[SueT]

Keep throwing it on the ground to make sure they get what they need.

 

[Saaniya]

• My chickens get grit when they are running all over the place they scratch the ground even they scratch the walls too ..hehehe but if they ate eating all natural grit pls don't give the man made .. Man made grit only used when we giving hard grains or millet or any hard food that need grit for digestion ..food like scrambled egg and soft easy to digest food doesn't required grit and they are clever they know what grit they need and they scratch all the time lol..

My friend's chicken love to eat gypsum walls and they are like crazy for gypsum and wall.plaster but when they eat gypsum look out for moderation..

As gypsum / chalk is a good source for calcium but be in moderation very little ..

 

[coach723]

I put the grit in a separate (smaller) feeder. They will take what they need, and you may find that you don't need to fill it very often if they are getting enough elsewhere. But it's there if needed and safer that they have it since not having enough could cause a blockage. In this case, prevention is much easier than cure.

 

[Sublight]

I would assume you could just put grit out there for them on the ground.
They would poop it out, then re-eat it at a later date. So put some out, and you are good for as long as they are in the run.
That's just my thinking. Its not like the grit is going to disappear. Mabe get buried, but they scratch all the time and will uncover it.

 

[Folly's place]

It's always safest to have some grit available, in case they don't find enough outside.
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes, throwing it on the ground is OK. That's the easy one. We all do these things differently but that doesn't mean they don't work.

Will they find enough grit on their own if they have access to the ground. Probably. If there is any gravel or small rocks in your soil they will find grit. It's always possible you lie in an area hat doesn't have rock in the soil, the swamp muck in the Mississippi River delta for example can be tricky, but if you can see rock around in your soil they will find grit.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Grit does disappear. The grit stays in the chicken's gizzard to help grind up the food that needs grinding but also grinds against other grit. When it is worn down small enough it passes on out the rear end of the chicken. How long the grit lasts in the gizzard depends on how hard it is and how big the pieces are to start with. Fairly large chunks of granite grit may last a month or so, softer rock or smaller pieces may be gone sooner.

 

[coach723]

I'm never going to argue with a system that works for anyone.....we all do what works for us. For the chicken it makes no difference if the grit is found on the ground or in a dish. My reasoning is that if it's in a dish and I can see it then I know it's available and there is enough. If it's on the ground, maybe there is enough, but how do I know? Since the first indication of not getting enough can be an impaction/blockage which may or may not be treatable and recoverable, I'm more comfortable doing the best I can to prevent it. So I just make sure it's always available. Their needs can vary, someone finds a nice tasty weed that popped up and gorges on it, more grit needed, so my feeling is better safe than sorry. I also agree with what Ridgerunner posted on the 'recycling of grit" issue. That which is passed in droppings is going to be for the most part, very, very small. When you necropsy or process a chicken you will find a gizzard full of grit of varying sizes, I've never found a dropping that looks like that. The grit remains in the gizzard and grinds away until it's too small. Which is why they need a constant source to replace it when needed.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

I don't bother giving mine grit because they're free-ranged and there are rocks... everywhere. I do provide oyster shell separately and they're quite healthy.