Grit !!!!

[Iveta]

Yes. Eggshell or oyster shell for calcium. Grit (rocks) for the gizzard to grind. Because chickens don't have teeth to chew with.

Dear Kokoshka I have no teeth to chew with lately too.. but here I go I am still trying.. tho my chicks and duck totally stole my dinner tonight.. demn birds lol . I do have good eyes and curious vision to read labels however - and on my starter grower packages it says the food is pasteurized for ‘additional safety’ and on the grit package itself it says chick grit is supplements given after 2 weeks
only .. but that’s just .. manufacturers of food of course

 

[K0k0shka]

View attachment 2668212Dear Kokoshka I have no teeth to chew with lately too.. but here I go I am still trying.. tho my chicks and duck totally stole my dinner tonight.. demn birds lol . I do have good eyes and curious vision to read labels however - and on my starter grower packages it says the food is pasteurized for ‘additional safety’ and on the grit package itself it says chick grit is supplements given after 2 weeks
only .. but that’s just .. manufacturers of food of course

Chick starter (chick food) is a processed product. It's water soluble and doesn't need grit to be digested. Grit is necessary for tougher, natural foods, such as grains, grass, fruits/vegetables, bugs, worms, etc. I'm guessing 2 weeks is a guideline because a lot of people don't feed baby chicks anything other than processed chick feed, so they wouldn't need it. It's good to know the reasons behind things though, not to follow labels blindly. To know what grit is and why it's needed. Then you'd be able to answer your questions and see that 2 weeks is not a magic number. It's about what grit does and what the body does when it eats different things. Not about slapping a number on a package.

 

[Iveta]

Yes. Eggshell or oyster shell for calcium. Grit (rocks) for the gizzard to grind. Because chickens don't have teeth to chew with.

to understand better the GRIT!!! The manufacturers urge us to give it to poultry, fed with scratch or other coarse grains no earlier than 8 weeks of age and mix 1 pound of grit with 40 pound of feed! I hope this helped someone tonight

 

[Iveta]

Chick starter (chick food) is a processed product. It's water soluble and doesn't need grit to be digested. Grit is necessary for tougher, natural foods, such as grains, grass, fruits/vegetables, bugs, worms, etc. I'm guessing 2 weeks is a guideline because a lot of people don't feed baby chicks anything other than processed chick feed, so they wouldn't need it. It's good to know the reasons behind things though, not to follow labels blindly. To know what grit is and why it's needed. Then you'd be able to answer your questions and see that 2 weeks is not a magic number. It's about what grit does and what the body does when it eats different things. Not about slapping a number on a package.

I don’t have questions actually. I want to restate what the manufacturers urge - introduce grit to poultry fed with scratch or other coarse grains no early than 8 Weeks and mix 1 pound of grit to 40 pound of feed. I have enough experience to know that this number looks correct.

 

[K0k0shka]

Don't mix grit with feed. Don't base your decisions solely on the package of a manufactured product. Manufacturers want to sell you things to make money. Read about how chickens work. How they eat, what they eat, when they eat it, and why. Talk to people who have owned chickens for a while and have real world experience. Go into the essence of the thing, don't stop at some label.

Chickens know best how much grit they need. If you mix it with the feed, it will be harder for them to tell grit particles from feed particles and they'll eat it indiscriminately, which could lead to too much grit being consumed, which could lead to impacted crop and even death. Look at what chicks do naturally. Their mom takes them outside right after they hatch and shows them how to find grit, seeds and bugs in the dirt. She doesn't wait until they are 8 weeks old. Or 2 weeks old. Or whatever a label on a package says. Look for the reasons behind things.

 

[K0k0shka]

I have enough experience to know that this number looks correct.

No it doesn't.

 

[Iveta]

No it doesn't. Call these folks at Manna pro and correct them - I provide phone and address below.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You'll find different manufacturers have different suggestions/instructions. I use Scratch & Peck for the majority of my feed and supplements as that's what's commonly available to me, so I go with their instructions. For their grit https://www.scratchandpeck.com/shop/poultry-grit/ they suggest:

Chick Grit

Layer chicks from day 1 through 8 weeks of age.
Broiler chicks from day 1 to 4 weeks of age.
Baby chicks and turkey poults can mistake grit for feed with damaging results. Help them establish correct feeding habits by sprinkling grit over their feed mash for the first week or two and then offer it free choice in a separate container.


Grower Grit

Introduce to developing layer pullets and roosters at approximately 8 weeks of age.
We suggest offering Grower Grit either free choice in a separate dish or tossing on the ground in their coop area to encourage natural scratching behavior.


Layer Grit

Feed to developing pullets and full grown hens and roosters at approximately 20 weeks of age.
Feed to Broilers after 4 weeks of age.
We suggest offering Layer Grit either free choice in a separate dish or tossing on the ground in their coop area to encourage natural scratching behavior. The birds will self-regulate and take what they need.

 

[Dephora]

That chart is just a guideline. In general following it will keep your birds healthy, but it is important to know the why behind when to add things like grit, oystershell etc.

For instance it says to start oyster shell at 16 weeks on the chart, but you shouldn't be giving added calcium until they start laying. As for Grit, 2 weeks is a good guideline unless you start giving them grass, herbs etc. earlier, then you should start grit earlier.

As for the original question, I agree with just getting regular grit and sifting out the smaller bits for now.

 

[Iveta]

I like their “Suggestive “ language of non intrusion and added politeness .I find it Very effective