If I feed oyster shell, do I still use grit too?

[paparootzi]

The guys at Co-0p told me they didn't have "grit" but that oyster shell was the same thing? Is that true? And if not, where can I get grit? BTW, I've had the 27 of mine for about 1-1/2 years now and never had any to die from not getting grit. Are they possibly just getting it from the ground?

 

[gritsar]

The guys at the feed store were wrong. Grit and oyster shell are two different things, that serve two different purposes.
Oyster shell is for hens, to provide extra calcium. Grit is needed to aid in the digestion. OS shell breaks down alot faster than grit does.
If your chickens have access to dirt they are likely finding enough grit to suit their needs. I free range and I don't provide grit. OS on the other hand, I provide a bowl of.

 

[bibliophile birds]

it makes me FURIOUS when people who work at feed stores aren't educated about their job. oyster shell and grit are NOT the same thing. as you probably know, oyster shell is for laying hens to get the extra calcium they need to make egg shells. grit is needed by ALL chickens that don't eat commercially sold, ground-up feed.

if they are free-ranging they are probably getting the grit they need from the ground. but i would still offer them some just in case. well grazed areas aren't going to provide enough after a while.

check Tractor Supply or PetSmart for grit.

 

[paparootzi]

Thanks for clearing that up for me!!! I just thought that a place like that would know so I forgot about it but I kept seeing grit AND os talked about so I thought I'd ask again some REAL experts! I do let them free range at times because their runs used to have nice plush grass but now it's just dirt so I let them get out to pick at the grass and clover and play in the leaves at the edge of the woods (that is so amusing). That's probably why they have been ok. But I'll try to find some at Petsmart anyway just to be on the safe side! Thanks again!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Soak a handful of corn and a handful of oyster shell in water for a few hours.

Then pinch them between your fingernails to see which is harder.

Relative to granite and quartz materials such as oyster shell is quite soft. Relative to a kernel of corn (or any other grain) that has been soaked in water that same piece of oyster shell is quite hard.

Oyster shell can and is used as grit in a chicken's gizzard. I don't feed grit to my birds at all and I have no gravel naturally occurring on the place. They use the oyster shell or sand (I have lots). I feed whole corn and wheat and they have no problem with digesting either.

The only time I feed grit is if I'm using brooder treats that would require it. Even then it's usually just coarse sand.

.....Alan.

 

[paparootzi]

Well, thank you for that too, Alan! That makes sense too!

 

[elmo]

Insoluble grit (the kind offered for sale for chickens is usually granite) isn't necessary if all you're feeding your chickens is chicken feed. If they're free ranging, they're probably picking up tiny stones as they forage anyway.

Oyster shell is sometimes called soluble grit because it is processed and used by the chicken's body. It's probably far too tiny to be effective helping to grind up food in a chicken's gizzard, which is the use of insoluble grit.

http://poultrykeeper.com/chickens/general-chickens/types-of-poultry-grit.html