Grit

[Rockergirl]

Hi! I'm new to raising chickens. They are now 13 weeks old. I have been giving them grit in a container but they ALWAYS knock it over. I feel like I am wasting so much money in grit. Am I doing it wrong? Should I just be spreading it out on the ground and they peck at it (I'm about to start the deep litter method, so it would be hard to find)? What do you all do? How do you supply grit? I will be moving to oyster shells in about a month when they start laying. Do you spread those on the ground or put into some type of feeder?

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I have ducks not chickens but totally get the knocking it over
I found the cat or dog dishes in a bass work great
I put oyster shells in one and grit in the other
The base is wood with iron legs and heavy so they can’t knock it over
Stands about 10 inches high
I got mine at a garage sale but many stores sell them or you can make your own if you have tools to do so

 

[Rockergirl]

Thank you. I'm looking online for one now. Do you know of metal bowls bother them?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I hang plastic parrot cups on a scrap of wire on the wall for both grit and oyster, they've never been knocked loose.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I hang plastic parrot cups on a scrap of wire on the wall for both grit and oyster, they've never been knocked loose.

View attachment 3260487

This is what I do. It's nice because I can raise/lower them as needed.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Thank you. I'm looking online for one now. Do you know of metal bowls bother them?

The metal has not bothered mine at all
Easy to wash as well

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I hang plastic parrot cups on a scrap of wire on the wall for both grit and oyster, they've never been knocked loose.

View attachment 3260487

That’s a great idea too

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How many chickens do you have? I have 27 and this is what I use, one for grit and one for oyster shell. They don't get knocked over. If your flock or space is small, you could get heavy crock bowls like soufflé bowls, that's what I use when they are in the brooder.

 

[saysfaa]

I put it in their dust bath tub thinking searching for it would give them something to do. It would also keep it from getting lost in the deep bedding.

Then worried about it so cut a hole in the side of an orange juice bottle like I had for egg- and oyster shells and made a wooden frame to hold both up on the wall at back level above the bedding.

They will take either from a metal container, too. I prefer that but couldn't find the size and shape I liked better than the orange juice bottles.

 

[SueT]

I sprinkle their grit on the ground. Ditto for oyster shell.