Grit?

[kingc33]

Hi everyone! This is my first time with chickens. I have raised them since they were 2 weeks old and they are now 6 months old. I see people talking about grit everywhere. I feed my chickens this

and we let our chickens out into our yard most days after work and on the weekends. We have 1 1/2 acres of land. My question is am I feeding them the right stuff? And do I need grit? If so, what kind of grit? I saw on becky's homestead that she gives her chickens sharp sand as grit? What do you all use for grit? Any advice is much appreciated!!!

 

[CuzChickens]

Hi there!

It sounds like your chickens are leading very happy lives, with some great feed! I give my birds a free range environment, and I have never provided them grit. You will want to give them grit in the winter if you live in a colder environment where the ground freezes. During the summer, however, you don't need to provide them with grit because they get the grit they need from free ranging.

I recommend grit a bit larger than sand, sand can impact in their crops and give them impacted crops. You can purchase grit in most feed stores, or give them small gravel.

Happy Chickening!

 

[rosemarythyme]

By 6 mos of age they should have grit that's the size of very small pebbles - the sand type grit is more for young chicks. If your property has a decent amount of solid rocks or gravel already in the soil they're probably getting enough, but it never hurts to provide some if you're not sure about that.

 

[Pork Pie]

My birds range in the garden every day and I have never provided grit. There are some good points made above. This link is quite interesting:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/891051/the-science-of-feeding-grit-to-poultry

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’m not sure where you are which could actually make a difference in this question. In the US when we talk about grit we are talking about the rocks chickens use in the gizzard to grind their food that needs to be ground. We don’t have any special name for oyster shell other than oyster shell. Oyster shell is there to provide extra calcium for hens laying eggs. In the UK they call the rocks chickens use to grind their food insoluble grit and oyster shell soluble grit. That looks like Purina Laying Pellets but I’m not going to assume that is available only in the US. Purina is a big company.

If you are talking about grit to grind up their food, they should be getting plenty of the right kind from ranging in your yard. They need that kind of grit to grind grass and other things they eat when free ranging. They don’t need grit for that prepared chicken feed but they will for about anything else they find. If you wish you can get a bag of insoluble grit from the feed store and offer it on the side or just toss it on the ground but it should be unnecessary. The grit you buy is granite but they can use about any other rick they find. Softer rocks don’t last as long but still work.

If you are talking about soluble grit (oyster shell) that’s a little more complicated. If all they eat is the Layer Pellets it has enough excess calcium in it for their egg shells. But since they free range at least part of the time and eat other things, they may not be getting all the calcium they need because that Layer is not all they eat. Your egg shells will tell you. If your egg shells are hard and thick they are getting enough calcium. If your egg shells are soft or thin they need more. I consider it a good idea to offer oyster shell on the side just to be sure. If they are getting enough calcium from other sources that oyster shell may last years, it will not go bad. If they need it they will eat it.

 

[kingc33]

I'm in Ohio! Thank you! Here soon I may just buy a bag of the granite from Tractor supply just in case and give it to them every once in awhile!

 

[kingc33]

I have also been giving them rolled oats, I have seen some other people do this as well? Do any of you?

 

[CuzChickens]

I have never given mine rolled oats, but I have heard of people doing it, and I have also heard it is good for preventing bumblefoot? Not sure if that is true or not.