Grit Size and Age

[centrarchid]

I currently use insoluble crushed granite sold by MannaPro as grit. My confined birds receive a quarter handful every time pens are moved to fresh ground at roughly one week intervals during the winter months. Roughly 1/2 their diet is made up of coarse / intact grains such a corn, oats and millet with balance being a grower / finisher ration. The timing of application coincides with the uptick in consumption of coarse vegetable matter as that I suspect that requires extentive processing by gizzard as well. I have assumed they have more than enough grit with system.


How long does the grit last in the gizzard before it is small enought to pass through the rest of the digestive tract? What size is it when it passes?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.cherrystonegrit.com/grit_sizes.html
This is the brand they sell at my feed store. On the bag it states that #1 is for chicks aged up to 4 weeks, #2 for 4-7 weeks, and #3 is for older than 7 weeks.


I hope this helps.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/IND43966785/PDF
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This is interesting and I need to cut way back on the amount of grit I have been giving based on this. Good thread, thanks!

 

[cyw iar]

http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/IND43966785/PDF
you might like this

This is interesting and I need to cut way back on the amount of grit I have been giving based on this. Good thread, thanks!

Great link, thanks for posting!

 

[centrarchid]

http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/IND43966785/PDF
you might like this

This is interesting and I need to cut way back on the amount of grit I have been giving based on this. Good thread, thanks!

Very interesting indeed. My birds are being offered about 10 g of grit each week yet clearly consume some each time offered. They must have some mechanism for preventing build up of too much. Trial used a diet composed similarly to what my birds get as fed, although mine eat at least some vegetable matter and free range birds may be consuming enough where such fare may repressent more than half of intake.