Grit stations

[cherrynberry]

Hello, we recently had quite a dilemma that was fixed which resulted in the chickens eating enough food and not eating more. I have been looking into getting some grit and wanted to see some people’s grit stations. I want to have one inside the coop, so that I don’t have to build another structure to keep it dry and so that if we ever are gone for a day, they have access to grit.

my other question is can grit and calcium all just be supplemented through oyster shells?

 

[Brooks_]

Hello, we recently had quite a dilemma that was fixed which resulted in the chickens eating enough food and not eating more. I have been looking into getting some grit and wanted to see some people’s grit stations. I want to have one inside the coop, so that I don’t have to build another structure to keep it dry and so that if we ever are gone for a day, they have access to grit.

my other question is can grit and calcium all just be supplemented through oyster shells?

No, grit and OS are not interchangeable. You can add drain holes to the grit container tho, it is not water soluable. I would suggest the OS be kept near the food.Hope that helps.

 

[50-45-1]

I offer oyster shell inside the coop from a wall hanging piglet feeder. I only have to top it up about twice a year
Keep it dry.
I also offer granite grit all year.

 

[Chicken Chat]

I keep my grit outside in one of these, one less thing inside the coop. It has small drain holes already in it.

 

[K0k0shka]

I just keep mine outside in a small 4" flower pot, so it has a hole for drainage. I only have to refill it a couple of times a year. You don't need a large container or station unless you have a lot of chickens. They go through grit very slowly, because it takes a lot of time and use for it to get ground down in their gizzards.

 

[cherrynberry]

No, grit and OS are not interchangeable. You can add drain holes to the grit container tho, it is not water soluable. I would suggest the OS be kept near the food.Hope that helps.

I just keep mine outside in a small 4" flower pot, so it has a hole for drainage. I only have to refill it a couple of times a year. You don't need a large container or station unless you have a lot of chickens. They go through grit very slowly, because it takes a lot of time and use for it to get ground down in their gizzards.

I keep my grit outside in one of these, one less thing inside the coop. It has small drain holes already in it.
View attachment 2681378

You guys all mentioned having drainage holes, do you know why they need drainage holes? Sorry, I am not too sure on what grit is, what oyster shell is. To my understanding, grit is like sand, and oyster shells are just calcium, so oyster shells can be replaced by eggshells, which is not fit for grit because it is too soft. So technically, any sort of calcium can replace oyster shells right?

 

[K0k0shka]

You guys all mentioned having drainage holes, do you know why they need drainage holes? Sorry, I am not too sure on what grit is, what oyster shell is. To my understanding, grit is like sand, and oyster shells are just calcium, so oyster shells can be replaced by eggshells, which is not fit for grit because it is too soft. So technically, any sort of calcium can replace oyster shells right?

Yes, that's correct. Oyster shell and eggshell are just calcium and are interchangeable (though chickens tend to prefer eggshell over oyster shell). The calcium helps the hen build a new shell for the eggs she lays. Grit is small rocks (larger than sand, usually the size of dry lentils and peas). It grinds up the chicken's food in its gizzard. Drainage holes are necessary for bowls that sit outside just so they don't flood with water when it rains. Rock sinks in water, so if the container isn't full of grit up to the edge, it will fill with water and the chickens won't be able to access the grit. Leaving grit outside isn't as big of a deal because it's just rocks, it won't mold or go bad, it just needs to not flood so the chickens can get to the rocks. Oyster shell or eggshell, on the other hand, should be kept dry. Oyster shell can disintegrate if left in water, and eggshell can go bad and start really stinking (from the leftover bits of egg on it).

 

[cherrynberry]

Thanks! I was getting confused, because when my dad went to the store yesterday, I told him to buy oyster shells, but he bought something similar called calcium for chickens...I will have to see what it looks like once I am able to set up a calcium station for them. Right now, we are getting a new coop, so I want to open the bag once our coop comes in a few days.


So that means if everything is in the coop (grit, oyster shell, feeder) I wont need the drainage holes right? Thanks in advance!

Yes, that's correct. Oyster shell and eggshell are just calcium and are interchangeable (though chickens tend to prefer eggshell over oyster shell). The calcium helps the hen build a new shell for the eggs she lays. Grit is small rocks (larger than sand, usually the size of dry lentils and peas). It grinds up the chicken's food in its gizzard. Drainage holes are necessary for bowls that sit outside just so they don't flood with water when it rains. Rock sinks in water, so if the container isn't full of grit up to the edge, it will fill with water and the chickens won't be able to access the grit. Leaving grit outside isn't as big of a deal because it's just rocks, it won't mold or go bad, it just needs to not flood so the chickens can get to the rocks. Oyster shell or eggshell, on the other hand, should be kept dry. Oyster shell can disintegrate if left in water, and eggshell can go bad and start really stinking (from the leftover bits of egg on it).

 

[Chicken Chat]

Thanks! I was getting confused, because when my dad went to the store yesterday, I told him to buy oyster shells, but he bought something similar called calcium for chickens...I will have to see what it looks like once I am able to set up a calcium station for them. Right now, we are getting a new coop, so I want to open the bag once our coop comes in a few days.


So that means if everything is in the coop (grit, oyster shell, feeder) I wont need the drainage holes right? Thanks in advance!

Correct, if everything is inside the coop, no drainage holes needed.

 

[Crs1]

I feed a quality egg 16% feed which contains calcium butI have a bowl close to the feeders and under cover for oyster shell which doesn’t seem to go down very fast unlessI put some eggshells in it.
and my grit I throw a hand full out once in awhile when I give them scratch to get them back in the fence.