Grit substitute?

[Ihavesomechickens]

Okay, some people here aren’t understanding the difference between soluble grit and insoluble grit, so I’ll try and explain it the best I can here.

Soluble Grit:
-oyster shells, eggshells, limestone, etc.
Used for calcium supplements in poultry.

Insoluble Grit:
-small rocks, normally granite.
Used in the gizzard to help digest food. Works like teeth for the bird.

 

[centrarchid]

I can maintain chickens free-range without providing granite based grit. The birds have access to limestone, sandstone and modest amounts of chert. With the exception of the chert, I assume they must consume more of the softer grit as they grind down faster, yet hold up well enough to help process the food items that can include a range of comparatively tough seeds and larger insects. The granite based grit probably last longer before wearing down and being passed through gastrointestinal tract.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

Here is my evidence against there being grit in chicken feed:

We have the grit I feed my flock:

( I have crumbles right now so I just put a decent sized pile to resemble a pellet. It seems a bit bigger than what a pellet would be, but I haven’t used pellets in awhile.)
Here is the grit compared to the ‘pellet’.

Here is me trying to fit a rock on the smaller side into the ‘pellet’. As you can see, it would be pretty obvious if it was in it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Here is my evidence against there being grit in chicken feed:

Here is me trying to fit a rock on the smaller side into the ‘pellet’. As you can see, it would be pretty obvious if it was in it.

You don't even have to go that far. With a whole grain mash, it's very obvious what's in there and what's not. With pellets or crumble, just dissolve it in some water to see what's in there and what's not, as they quickly dissolve into mush.

Simple answer is I'm sure there's brands of feed out there that might include grit, but certainly not all brands include it.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

You don't even have to go that far. With a whole grain mash, it's very obvious what's in there and what's not. With pellets or crumble, just dissolve it in some water to see what's in there and what's not, as they quickly dissolve into mush.

Simple answer is I'm sure there's brands of feed out there that might include grit, but certainly not all brands include it.

I knew that, but I just decided to show it the easiest way I could at the time. I’m sure somewhere there is feed with insoluble grit in it, but not any commercial brands I have seen.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

It’s not that chicken food has grit, it’s that it turns to mush so grit isn’t needed.

Babies don’t have teeth. Babies can eat baby food because it’s a mush, not because it has teeth in it.

 

[EggWalrus]

Buying ANY GRIT is a waste of money. It has never been needed. In days of old, chickens free ranged and got kitchen scraps and left over feed from other farm animals. They ate dirt, rocks or what ever they could find to grind it up in their gizzard.
Nowadays, commercial chicken feed (whether pellet,crumbles or mash) is all pulverized into dust, then extruded into pellets, broken pellets are sold as crumbles and all the dust and scraps are sold as mash. But no grit is needed because it's all water soluble dust just in different forms.
You love your chickens and want the best for them, but chickens know their body better than you do. If they start to get clogged up from eating whole corn, big weeds, or what ever they come across, they will seek dirt,sand, or rocks to help their gizzard getting that stuff up. (Occasionally,they'll eay really long weeds that cause impacted crop)

Bottom line: never waste your money on grit. Is a Big Biz Scsm for idiots to waste money on.
If they are free ranging, and can find food on their own, they can find more than enough grit.
If they are penned and you have to feed them, no grit is needed because you are feeding them grain dust in a water soluble pellet form.

Even if you feed them old dry cracked corn (or worse, whole corn)as long as they are on dirt and not concrete or caged off the ground, they will eat enough dirt to act as a grit.
Only time you ever need to worry about grit is of you feed them whole solid grain and you see lots of solid grain in their poo. I fed mine old rock hard whole corn and never see any whole corn on their poo. The dirt they eat grinds it up.
But do what you want, waste your money and worry till your teeth fall out. Then you'll have to buy grit, for yourself to eat.

 

[centrarchid]

What if you contain birds during winter months and feed a mixture of shelled corn, oats, wheat, millet, and BOSS with a complete component as well?

 

[EggWalrus]

You don't even have to go that far. With a whole grain mash, it's very obvious what's in there and what's not. With pellets or crumble, just dissolve it in some water to see what's in there and what's not, as they quickly dissolve into mush.

Simple answer is I'm sure there's brands of feed out there that might include grit, but certainly not all brands include it.

Most brands include Silicon Dioxide (powdered Granite), not for grit, but as an "anti-caking" agent.
Just look on the ingredients in ANY bag or can of parmigian cheese. They used to use saw dust (cellulose fiber) exclusively as an a anti-caking agent but now better brands have switched to granite (Silicon Dioxide) dust or potato starch.

They put that shit in everything.

 

[EggWalrus]

What if you contain birds during winter months and feed a mixture of shelled corn, oats, wheat, millet, and BOSS with a complete component as well?

If they are on the ground, they don't need grit. Get a magnifying glass and look at the dirt in the run. IT'S GRIT. It may be fine, but it's grit.