Grit??

[DarleneE]

Can someone tell me if there is a certain grit for chickens only or is it the same grit you would give to birds? I have some that said for birds on it but my hens don't seem to care for it. I notice it smells odd and pretty nasty?? I understand they need grit if they are given leftovers or anything other than chicken food?? They only get to free range a couple times week when I'm able to be there to watch them as they're still only about 12-13 weeks old and I'm scared a cat or a hawk or anything really could get ahold of them. They do walk around in our lanai every morning but I realize that's NOT grass and they're not getting their grit in there.

 

[wsmith]

I don't buy grit. If you have any small sand in the areas that they free range, they will pick it up. On my property I have some areas with sand, others without. I will usually go to an anyhill and get a bucket of snad thaty the ants deposit on the top of the mounds, and put the sand into the growout pens for my juveniles. Once in a while I will add a bucket to the main runs, but the chickens usually pick up what they need and want from the ground. Every situation is different though.

 

[donrae]

I think it's the same grit as for caged birds, but the caged bird stuff is tons more expensive. I buy a 40ish lb bag from the feed store for something like $10, it's lasted my 50 birds over a year and I've got at least 1/3 of the bag left.

I like to offer it to my birds. They may get what they need from my soil, but I'm not positive. I don't give it all the time, I basically just toss some in the run a few times a month or whenever I think about it. They need some form of grit to help digest most food scraps. Commercial feed doesn't need grit to digest.

 

[DarleneE]

Well hmmm mine just won't touch it??

 

[centrarchid]

Particle size is primary difference. Increasing bird size results in larger grit stone required to stay in blizzard. For perspective some dinosaurs used grit stones the size of softballs.

 

[hildar]

Well mine free range so they pick up what they need around the yard. However when I have little ones here I always add a small amount in with their food. Or when I have one that is in a separate coop for a reason for awhile they get grit. However I have never bought the grit for birds for any of mine, I buy the bags for chickens. After 5 years I think I still have lots left in my 50 pound bag. I don't use it often.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some bird grit has calcium added. They probably won’t eat enough to harm themselves but extra calcium is not good for growing chicks. I don’t know what other additives might be in bird grit. You can always check the label to see the ingredients. Different brands could be different.

If they have access to the ground, whether it is grass covered or plain dirt, they will find their own grit. I don’t know what your lanai looks like but it probably doesn’t have a dirt floor so, no, they won’t get grit from that.

Chickens will use whatever rocks they can find as grit. It doesn’t matter if it is granite, quartz, basalt, diamonds, obsidian, or something else. The harder it is, the longer it lasts before it gets ground down. You can normally find bags of “grit” in a feed store, some smaller pieces sold as chick grit and larger pieces sold for laying hens or pullets. This is made from granite, which is hard and lasts quite a while in their gizzard. They screen the wastes from granite quarries to get the different sizes.

For chicks you can use a coarse sand like construction sand or just get sand from a creek bed, something like that. If you get it from a saltwater beach, you should rinse it first. Chickens don’t handle extra salt real well, so you rinse the excess salt off of it. Adult chickens can use pieces of rock up to the size of a green pea as grit, but they can use smaller pieces too. Chicks of coarse use smaller sizes, but they know what they can handle.

 

[DarleneE]

Some bird grit has calcium added. They probably won’t eat enough to harm themselves but extra calcium is not good for growing chicks. I don’t know what other additives might be in bird grit. You can always check the label to see the ingredients. Different brands could be different.

If they have access to the ground, whether it is grass covered or plain dirt, they will find their own grit. I don’t know what your lanai looks like but it probably doesn’t have a dirt floor so, no, they won’t get grit from that.

Chickens will use whatever rocks they can find as grit. It doesn’t matter if it is granite, quartz, basalt, diamonds, obsidian, or something else. The harder it is, the longer it lasts before it gets ground down. You can normally find bags of “grit” in a feed store, some smaller pieces sold as chick grit and larger pieces sold for laying hens or pullets. This is made from granite, which is hard and lasts quite a while in their gizzard. They screen the wastes from granite quarries to get the different sizes.

For chicks you can use a coarse sand like construction sand or just get sand from a creek bed, something like that. If you get it from a saltwater beach, you should rinse it first. Chickens don’t handle extra salt real well, so you rinse the excess salt off of it. Adult chickens can use pieces of rock up to the size of a green pea as grit, but they can use smaller pieces too. Chicks of coarse use smaller sizes, but they know what they can handle.

Thank you SO much!! This has helped me a lot! I will go to the feed store Monday first thing and get some of that grit! NO my lanai has a tile floor and NO they do NOT get to free range everyday right now cause I don't have any safe, fenced, covered area out back yet where I feel safe to leave them. As we speak however, my husband is working on fencing and enclosing an area for them for THIS purpose. Again, thank you!! I did get a bowl though and I put some dirt from the backyard for them in their coop yesterday. I'm hoping they ate some.. I couldn't really tell by just looking at it cause they may have scratched some out too you know..??!!

 

[enola]

Particle size is primary difference. Increasing bird size results in larger grit stone required to stay in blizzard. For perspective some dinosaurs used grit stones the size of softballs.

I hate it when my phone changes gizzard to blizzard! !

 

[DarleneE]

That's that good ole spell check for ya!!!! Lol