How long without grit?

[robinwhiskers]

I bought grit for our chickens who live in a coop and run (the run has a dirt floor) and I've put some in there in the past but the bag got ruined so I'll have to get more. Is it fine if I wait till about January 3rd or 4th to give it to them? They get treats in moderation but for Christmas yesterday they got some green grass to eat (now I know long strands can cause crop issues so won't do that anymore), rice, and canned dog food for protein for the molters. Should I be fine waiting that long until I get grit next?

 

[ldrchickens]

Im like over pre-cautious so i like to make sure their is gravel and sand of all various sizes at all time for my chickens to pick and choose what they need. Im sure there are small rocks and stuff they are digging up in the dirt that provides them sufficient for now. My grandma has her birds in a dirt floor pen with nothing i can see they could use for grit but they have never had any issues and they eat everything that we eat. I dont buy grit i just throw in a shovel or two of sandy gravel in the run. Its free plus it saves me a trip into town.

 

[Pork Pie]

I never used grit and kept my birds confined to a dirt run with no issues. I wouldn’t worry about waiting a few days, personally.

 

[cmom]

I put granite grit and oyster shells in the bird's feeders but all of my coops have 40# feeders and the birds take what they want. A friend of mine who also raises chickens doesn't give his birds grit or oyster shells and they seem to do fine.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Oh yeah, they'll be perfectly fine for a week and a half in a dirt run.
In future, you can chop up grass with scissors to make it short and safe to eat, if they really liked the grass.

 

[Criticalicious]

What do you mean by, "the bag got ruined"? Was it moldy or just wet? Because grit is simply ground up rocks. I have never seen it go moldy. What rendered it unusable? Are you sure you had grit and not calcium shells?

 

[Ridgerunner]

What do you mean by, "the bag got ruined"? Was it moldy or just wet? Because grit is simply ground up rocks. I have never seen it go moldy. What rendered it unusable? Are you sure you had grit and not calcium shells?

Exactly. What do you mean by "the bag got ruined"? If that bag of grit is granite, which most of it is, it will be good for centuries, not just decades. Crushed oyster shell is almost all calcium, which will dissolve in acid. If it is kept in an acid-free environment it should last decades if not longer. I'm sure it is possible the grit could become contaminated but the bag getting wet should not do it. How did it become ruined?

Decent sized chunks of granite grit can last for a month or so. They can get pieces of rock to use as grit out of most dirt. How long it lasts in their gizzard depends on what kind of rock it is, how soft or if it dissolves in their acid-environment gizzard. You should be OK to wait a couple of weeks.

 

[cmom]

I agree, the OP said the bag got ruined, but the grit should be fine.

 

[robinwhiskers]

Well it filled with water but there was no mold or anything, I poured out what was left in the bag on the ground outside the coop and took some to the birds but the rain has washed the rest of it away. I'll order some at the beginning of the month, only because I get free shipping on Chewy.com if I order on the first days of January.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks for the clarification. With no mold it is perfectly safe.

Can you scrape some of it up and dump it from outside the coop to inside the run on that dirt. They will be using it for a long time.