Grit size question - and a little cross-border rant

[MiaS]

I'm at my B&SIL's house in the South Okanagan for a few days, dealing with the grief of losing my nearly 18 year canine sidekick last week. While we are here we took a quick drive across the border so that I could pick up some Sweet PDZ, which I cannot get in Canada, along with a few other choice products which my ridiculous government feels it should protect me from.

Aaaannnyway. The local country store in Washington has way more chicken stuff than our local UFA or feed stores and now I'm finding myself frustrated - as usual. It seems to me like any time I begin a new hobby etc, the equipment, supplies and such that would make it easy are impossible to find or hugely expensive to get in Canada or to Canada. So very maddening!!

One thing I was struck by was the 3 sizes of grit on the shelf. The grit that I could find locally isn't much different than sand but the grit they had for pullets and for layers were much bigger than that. The layer grit was almost the size of the type you might use to add drainage to an indoor potted plant, maybe a bit bigger than 1/8" stones.

Do I need to go looking for larger grit somewhere?

My birds are penned and I do not yet (building a hoop coop currently) have pasture access as we are unfenced and have neighbouring bird dogs. They are taking the sandy grit offered and I do add dirt to their sandbox regularly which they pick through.

 

[townchicks]

The way I understand it, the grit in the gizzard will wear down with use, then the chicken will replenish it. I would think that smaller grit would work, but just need to be replenished more often. I had no idea there were 3 sizes of grit, my local feed store only offers one. I have to get smaller grit for my doves at the pet store. I'm sorry that it's hard to get stuff there. Have you tried having stuff shipped, or can it not be shipped across the border? Of course, that makes it more expensive too.

 

[slordaz]

We only have 2 sizes here in Idaho Chick grit and grit , as long as they have access to dirt outside they don't really need it , only time I have it is for chicks kept in the grow out brooder that are still to small to be out on their own with the flock

The only time they need it here is winter time or when they are penned up without access to the ground

 

[MiaS]

The way I understand it, the grit in the gizzard will wear down with use, then the chicken will replenish it. I would think that smaller grit would work, but just need to be replenished more often. I had no idea there were 3 sizes of grit, my local feed store only offers one. I have to get smaller grit for my doves at the pet store. I'm sorry that it's hard to get stuff there. Have you tried having stuff shipped, or can it not be shipped across the border? Of course, that makes it more expensive too.

Oh yeah, I have plenty of stuff shipped where it is possible. However sometimes the cost is just crazy. For example, I ordered some Premier1 shock-or-not netting and a heated waterer last week. To ship to a package unit in Washington or Montana (1.5 hrs from home) was free but to ship to me was $195 not including the 25% exchange and any duty I may pay. That is just nuts, and it is unwarranted. Unfortunately it's not going to get to Washington until Tuesday and we will already be heading back home - urrrrgghh! Now I'll have to wait until my SIL can figure out how to get it to me from there. But that inconvenience and cost will still be less than the $195 US.

The PDZ which is $16 US for the 40lb bag would cost me $123 CAD via amazon. Again, just crazy. I'd get free shipping though

 

[slordaz]

Oh yeah, I have plenty of stuff shipped where it is possible. However sometimes the cost is just crazy. For example, I ordered some Premier1 shock-or-not netting and a heated waterer last week. To ship to a package unit in Washington or Montana (1.5 hrs from home) was free but to ship to me was $195 not including the 25% exchange and any duty I may pay. That is just nuts, and it is unwarranted. Unfortunately it's not going to get to Washington until Tuesday and we will already be heading back home - urrrrgghh! Now I'll have to wait until my SIL can figure out how to get it to me from there. But that inconvenience and cost will still be less than the $195 US.

The PDZ which is $16 US for the 40lb bag would cost me $123 CAD via amazon. Again, just crazy. I'd get free shipping though

Idaho gets pretty cold and lots of snow, and rarely have to give em grit even in winter as my hens and the rooster come and go as they please from the coop, and funny rooster comes either crowing at bedroom window or pecking on door to let me know his hens need something like if snow is deep so I can go shovel a place for them to get at the ground

 

[aart]

I'd buy the biggest(particle size) granite grit they have.
http://www.jupefeeds-sa.com/documents/GraniteGrit.pdf.
I bought about a 2 gallon bag of granite grit from the local mill, supposedly they put it in their chicken scratch mixes. Ran it thru a colander with 1/16" holes. Bagged the smaller stuff for the chicks and sprinkle some over a chunk of sod in the brooder during the second week.
The bigger stuff I toss out once in awhile with the scratch.

The product availability and cost must really stink....maybe part of the cost of all that 'free' health are we keep hearing about?

 

[MiaS]

I'd buy the biggest(particle size) granite grit they have.
http://www.jupefeeds-sa.com/documents/GraniteGrit.pdf.
I bought about a 2 gallon bag of granite grit from the local mill, supposedly they put it in their chicken scratch mixes. Ran it thru a colander with 1/16" holes. Bagged the smaller stuff for the chicks and sprinkle some over a chunk of sod in the brooder during the second week.
The bigger stuff I toss out once in awhile with the scratch.

The product availability and cost must really stink....maybe part of the cost of all that 'free' health are we keep hearing about?

Nope, the 'free' health care is a different department LOL (and honestly I'd take it over going bankrupt if I got sick even though it's nowhere near perfect. The sweet spot is likely somewhere in the middle - whole different topic ).

I suspect it is a combination of market size being about 1/10th of the US, industry protectionism in certain products, liberal 'we know better than you do what is safe/proper/right' stupidity and honestly it's also a US thing about shipping to a 'foreign' country (I dunno I just crossed the border twice, same land either side).

 

[chickens really]

I'm Canadian and just buy Grit in the size I can get and zero issues..
As far as that sweet PDZ goes Canadian government has stricter regulations. You can get stall dry but neither are needed if Coop is kept clean with good ventilation.

 

[MiaS]

I'm Canadian and just buy Grit in the size I can get and zero issues..
So is your grit sorta sand sized?

As far as that sweet PDZ goes Canadian government has stricter regulations. You can get stall dry but neither are needed if Coop is kept clean with good ventilation.

As far as I can tell the PDZ is not a restriction issue as they will and can ship to Canada and it is just zeolite which we can find a form of here for gardening. They just don't distribute here.

I'm admittedly a sucker for things that people recommend, sometimes even when I turn out not to need them. It may be a fault .

So far I've been putting shavings on my poop board and then just flicking it off and mixing into the coop shavings. That seems to work but the coop is new so no smell yet anyway. For $16 I'll compare and if not worth it then I won't worry about trying it again.

 

[chickens really]

As far as I can tell the PDZ is not a restriction issue as they will and can ship to Canada and it is just zeolite which we can find a form of here for gardening. They just don't distribute here.

I'm admittedly a sucker for things that people recommend, sometimes even when I turn out not to need them. It may be a fault .

So far I've been putting shavings on my poop board and then just flicking it off and mixing into the coop shavings. That seems to work but the coop is new so no smell yet anyway. For $16 I'll compare and if not worth it then I won't worry about trying it again.

Sand on the poop board will work...Anyways I hate helping if it turns into a debate...