New to chickens! Please help with diet question!!

[Lauravonsmurf]

I provide grinding grit especially when chicks are in the house or caged, they can’t go get rocks on their own. I give to adults too based on my yard, what is in it… in theory there is plenty of little pebbles, rock stuff but some parts of the yard not so much, and if weather has my birds in a less “grit” containing area confined then absolutely I give it to them. Oyster shell is my extra calcium source so I just put some out for them too.

 

[Cookies-Chickens2004]

Thank you for the clarification. I now know the difference and have to put out a separate hanging bin for oyster shells alone. I will always offer both from now on.

 

[MaggieMoo21]

Hello! Forgive me if I’m posting this in the wrong spot, I’m new to this site as well as chickens!! Eeeek!! I will be getting 8 adult chickens this week. I dont know what kind of feed they have been getting. I’m assuming for various reasons that it’s most likely the cheapest that can be found at the store.
I’m a firm believer in eating clean and natural as much as possible and that you absolutely eat what your food eats. So my question is, once I get them and begin feeding them a diet I am comfortable with, when could I consider their eggs “clean”? TIA!!

Since "clean" is not a regulated term, it would be whenever you feel comfortable. It takes about 3 days to see a difference in egg production when you add or subtract protein percentages. Personally, since eggs from hens fed a standard diet are considered safe for the general population, I would go with about 3 days. So I would eat the eggs that are produced on the 4th day after starting the new diet.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

If clean as you define could be explained a bit we might be better able to help with that. Like anything you trying to avoid?