Is DG (Decomposed Granite) safe as a grit?

[Laurieks]

I've free ranged and never known about grit, for ~10 years. I hope they got enough roughage on their own.
We just put a sand floor in the coop, and got a half yard of DG in the process. I was going to use for the floor and was told to have something soft for the new Barnevelders in case they fell off a perch, got worried about the DG and went back for sand. Now that it's in, I think either would have been soft enough.
The DG is sitting out there, with an old railroad tie to keep it semi in place. The chickens love it for dustbathing, and a few are gobbling it up like crazy. I can tarp it if they shouldn't eat it.
Thanks in advance!

 

[henryetta]

ill give ya a little bump here cause im curious too.. I have sand in my 'run' and have wondered if i should vary the style it at times...

 

[dacjohns]

Somewhere I have a bag of grit I got for my chicks when they were in the brooder. If I recall correctly the grit was ground up granite. I would think that DG would be fine. Grit is just basically little rocks in the crop (or maybe the gizzard or both) for grinding up the stuff they eat.

I'm getting rusty on my chickens.

 

[Laurieks]

I have sand in my 'run' and have wondered if i should vary the style it at times...

lol it's fun to rake the sand in patterns like a zen garden

 

[SunnyDawn]

My flock has access to DG when they free range and are doing very well. They've been eating it for 8 months now and they are fat, sassy and super healthy (knock on wood).

 

[mbcarson]

Hi. Are you still raising chickens in Reno?