Grit vs Oyster Shell Question

[gailbelanger]

@gailbelanger , here is a pic of my homemade DIY PVC grit and calcium feeder.

View attachment 3086835

It's just some 2 inch PVC pipes, about 12 inches long, with some PVC elbows. I used some scrap wood to make the holder which I hang up in the coop about 6 inches off the floor. At the time I made it, about 3 years ago, it cost me less than $2.00. I don't know how much it would cost today. Anyway, the PVC elbows limit the chickens to only getting their head into the pipe to eat the grit or calcium. The feeder is gravity fed, and I just refill it from the top. For my 10 chickens, I have to refill these grit and calcium feeders maybe once every 3 months.

If you like a simple DIY project for yourself and/or kids in the family, this is a nice project to make. Very easy.

We're looking at the PVC right now. I can't believe how expensive it got! They want $15 for 2 ft of the 3". But we got some 2" at home so that'll work.

 

[gtaus]

We're looking at the PVC right now. I can't believe how expensive it got! They want $15 for 2 ft of the 3". But we got some 2" at home so that'll work.

Wow, that's just crazy. But when a 2X4 costs $4000.00 at the store, I suppose PVC pipe had to raise their prices too.

Honestly, I don't think I have bought much of any of my DIY materials since COVID hit and the prices on everything went so high. I am sure glad I built my coop, run, feeders, etc... before the giant price hikes of the last couple of years.

 

[Mr Spot]

I've always fed mine both, each has it's purpose .

 

[Cryss]

Thank you. I didn't realize chickens were that smart, my bad.

The babies get crumbles, and my hens are 7 months old and get layer pellets.

Unfortunately there are 6 roosters out of the 53 who are eating layer pellets also. I'm thinking of somehow separating them and feeding them meat chicken food, they are a a dual purpose breed.

I am re-homing a couple. I thought I'd like to keep one of each breed, RIR, Speckled Sussex, just in case I want to try my hand at hatching some. But all of them together are hurting my girls and I'm not happy with that and neither are they.

I did have one hen develop sour crop and even though she lived she'll never be the same. Her crop is way to big and in the morning she looks like she's trying to throw up a hairball, which kind of makes me worried. That's what started me on my quest to find out more about oyster shell and grit.

I do leave food out all day and pick it up at night. Someone told me they should have a full crop at night and an empty one in the morning and that would help with things like sour crop.

Layer feed works well for large egg production farms that have no need for roosters nor do they have young non laying pullets. They only have hens for laying eggs. They get new chickens that are already at egg laying age (called “point of lay”).
Backyard flocks often will have a rooster and/or young non laying pullets. These should not have calcium. It can destroy their kidneys. This is what Flock Raiser feed is for. All ages and all genders of chickens can eat it. For the ones that are actually laying eggs it is a simple thing to offer a separate feeder or bowl filled with oyster shell. Just feeding back egg shell is not enough. Shell will absorb quickly into their systems but shell will dissolve slower for absorption. They will eat it as needed.
Grit will last in their gizzard for a long time. It doesn’t dissolve but it gets worn down as it grinds the food. This can also be offered in a separate feeder or bowl.
Please search here for the article written by @azygous with a title something like ‘impacted crop and sour crop and how to tell the difference’. I don’t remember the exact title. It will definitely help you with your sour crop and pendulous crop issue.

 

[Cryss]

By the way, chickens are not hens until they are one year old. You have older pullets that have begun laying. Think of them as 11 year old teenage girls that have just hit puberty.

 

[wolfwalker]

To address one part of your post glossed over, Sussex are supposed to lay a large egg. BUT, unfortunately unless you bought your chicks from a private breeder that still has access to older genetics it is going to be a rare occurrence to get a large egg out of the Speckled Sussex.

I blame that on hatcheries.

Hatcheries refresh their flocks every year [replace the breeders before they hit a full year most of the time]. this over the years of hatching pullet eggs has led to the egg size decreasing over time. The same thing is happening with hatchery Welsummer's, they are losing the spots they are known for because they hatch every egg instead of the ones that are spotted, thus allowing the genes for spotting to be watered down and lost.

I raised Speckled Sussex for 4 years and finally gave up on them as the first two years they laid small with occasional medium eggs and after a lot of conversations with English breeders and diving into genetics I sold them all and gave up on them even though they were pretty. Mainly because I was having trouble tracking down a breeder that I could get eggs and chicks from that their initial stock was not several generations removed from one of the Hatcheries.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Grit for digestion, Oyster shells for calcium. (Needed for egg making)

 

[SueT]

As for size of eggs, I only have one Speckled Sussex, now age 6 and she has never laid large eggs. Her eggs are mediums.
Pullets will lay smaller eggs for several months, so the eggs may get bigger.
Others have already answered your oyster shell/grit question sufficiently.

 

[Kandypeeps05]

Do any other species of birds require grit/oyster shell? turkeys, guineas, peafowl, pheasanya, quail, pigeons?

 

[TooCheep]

Do any other species of birds require grit/oyster shell? turkeys, guineas, peafowl, pheasanya, quail, pigeons?

https://www.sugar-feather.com/what-is-grit-and-why-do-fowl-need-it/

Grit is required by types of poultry and fowl, from parakeets to ostrich. All of them have a gizzard to grind their feed.

Wild birds will get their grit from the ground. Chickens are commonly restricted and can't get enough for their gizzard, though free ranging chickens will generally be fine.
I don't know about oyster shell, but most birds don't lay eggs nearly every day, so they have much lower calcium requirements.