How do you dispense/provide grit and oyster shell?

[legacyln]

I would like to improve how I'm providing grit and oyster shell.

I usually just pile a hand ful of grit out in the run every week or two, but sometimes I forget. I was considering getting a shallow clay flower pot and drilling extra holes in the bottom for drainage and putting the grit in that.

I throw oyster shell out haphazardly also, but thought it might best be dispensed in a dish indoors, though I'd like to put it in something they won't scratch around in and spread it all over the bedding and waste it (that bedding's pretty deep).

So any good ideas? Better yet, any photos of how you all are doing it?

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I just add a handful of each to their feed in the feeder. I've found that if I put a dish out or toss it in their bedding, they just think it's a better dust bath and it gets wasted.

 

[lovemychix]

I put mine inside in a rubber tub. The ones at the farm supply stores. They are heavy duty and don't seem to tip over. Sometimes I mix the oyster shell in the feeder with the feed.

 

[HennysMom]

I have two metal things that look like minature mailboxes almost that hang on my pen/fence/chain link. One is for grit and the other is for oyster shell. They have hooks on the back of them and they just hook right on without any issues and you can put them at any height. The tops flip open to fill up with grit/shell and it dispenses into a little "bucket" type of thing that is attached. The girls love it and no longer spill their grit/shell everywhere and its one less thing on the floor of their pen.

They actuall look sort of like a cross between the old timey match holders and an old timey mail box that went on your wall - remmeber those? ...but are probably about 7 inches tall maybe and about 4 inches wide.

I'll try to get a pic tomorrow to post it so you can see it.

 

[crzychicken]

I use the metal things also,. they are for rabbit food I think I put mine on the coop floor they eat all of it even the little bit that falls out.

 

[Marlinchaser]

I built gravity feed despensers, its there if they need/want it, I think if you put it in with thier food, they will eat it whether they need it or not, with free choice they only take what they need.

 

[portlandpeeps]

I use metal containers, they're the kind that are in 2 parts that slide apart with several holes in the top piece, the bottom is a tray... is there a name for these?

I also sprinkle a few handfuls of oyster shell in with their regular feed.

 

[Akane]

I set my feeder in the middle of one of those 2x2' rabbit pans to help keep shavings out of it and I just dump grit and treats around it. They scratch it around on the tray and don't spill too much.

 

[ghillie]

I use two plastic dog food dishes. 1 for grit the other for the oyster shell.

 

[HennysMom]

Quote:
are they rabbit feeders? I dont know if what I have are for rabbits or not - I got them at our Co-Op (Southern States). I believe they were in the rabbit section now that you mention it but they dont sit on the ground - they are made to mount onto something as they each have little hooks on the back.

But it sounds like the same thing..