Grit

[Wyorp Rock]

Mine seem to waste more grit than they eat...

I feel like I'm going through a lot of it.

How are you feeding the grit?
Mine will occasionally bill the grit around a bit, but usually they just pick through the pieces to find what they want.
I do have it attached to one of the posts in the run about chicken chest high so they can't scratch in it.

 

[DreamsInPink]

How are you feeding the grit?
Mine will occasionally bill the grit around a bit, but usually they just pick through the pieces to find what they want.
I do have it attached to one of the posts in the run about chicken chest high so they can't scratch in it.

Well, I am/was giving it to the 'teenagers' in the brooder in a bowl. Which they waded in, pooped in and basically strung all over the place... if they ever ate any of it, I may never know. lol

I AM putting a large tuna can in the coop, mounted on a post, with grit in it... probably this weekend for the older group.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Well, I am/was giving it to the 'teenagers' in the brooder in a bowl. Which they waded in, pooped in and basically strung all over the place... if they ever ate any of it, I may never know. lol

I AM putting a large tuna can in the coop, mounted on a post, with grit in it... probably this weekend for the older group.

LOL, the teenagers will spread it every which way - it won't hurt them. They will find it if they need it. I have found that my 9mo olds still love to dig through bedding to see if they can find a bit of crumbles that may have been spilled, I think it's the thrill of the hunt and that scratching instinct they have.
A tuna can mounted to a post is a great idea.

BTW I think wading and pooping in any and everything is REQUIRED if you are a chicken - if not you will be banished for life

 

[DreamsInPink]

Those teenagers need to get moved to the coop ASAP. lol I'm just afraid to give them anything other than their crumbles because I don't know if they've gotten the grit they need. And NOW, I've been reading here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/891051/the-science-of-feeding-grit-to-poultry/20

and have found out that I should have bought a larger grit as well as the chick grit. I had no idea.. till tonight. Oi. So much to learn. I have chick grit only... good for my youngest group. So, I guess I need to buy some regular grit... definitely for the older group.. and most likely for the teenagers.. they are almost 6 weeks old.

And yes, I think you are right about the wading/pooping in everything being a requirement. LOL

 

[Ardj]

Grit is dirt - small little stones that chickens eat to break the food, because they don't have teeth. There is no point of buying grit ... It is everywhere around us. Take a bucket of sand, throw it on the ground and there you go - grit for chickens.

 

[sophia31d8921]

I mix a small bit of grit in with my chickens' food. Free ranging chickens naturally get grit, so they don't need as much.

 

[DreamsInPink]

Grit is dirt - small little stones that chickens eat to break the food, because they don't have teeth. There is no point of buying grit ... It is everywhere  around us. Take a bucket of sand, throw it on the ground and there you go - grit for chickens. 

Opinions vary on this. The grit you buy is much larger than any sand I've seen. Regardless, I'd still have to buy sand... might as well buy grit. And I have no idea how much grit like stone I have on my property. It's all clay.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Mine seem to waste more grit than they eat...

I feel like I'm going through a lot of it.

That tells me that your birds are bored. Some litter to scratch around in and maybe a few grains of un-popped pop corn or uncooked rice tossed in every day to motivate them to look for food may help.

 

[DreamsInPink]

That tells me that your birds are bored.  Some litter to scratch around in and maybe a few grains of un-popped pop corn or uncooked rice tossed in every day to motivate them to look for food may help.

Thank you.. yes... you are probably very right!! They are ready to get to the coop. And hopefully that will happen tomorrow. They can have unpopped popcorn?? Is that really something they'd enjoy?? LOL Seems rather bland to me.

 

[FlyWheel]

I started giving mine grit at one week so I could start 'imprinting' them with treats; after checking here to see if it was alright, of course. I pour a small handful on their bedding next to their feed bin and let them scratch for it. It made sense as that's how they will be getting it when they're in the pen.