Shell Grit - How long will it last?

[Ridgerunner]

it's coarsely ground-up shell so it acts as both grit for digestion and shell for calcium (see example).

That explanation is pretty strange. In the UK soluble grit is a calcium supplement, often oyster shell but you can use limestone or other things. Soluble grit dissolves in gastric juices and can be digested to aid a laying hen make egg shells.

Insoluble grit is usually granite if you buy it at the feed store. It's used to grind up food in the gizzard. Two different things.

In the chickens digestive system the crop comes first, then the proventriculus, then the gizzard. The proventriculus is where gastric juices are first added. I would not count on ground sea shell to help in the gizzard, I'd be concerned it would be dissolved b gastric juices before it could help much in the gizzard.

My oyster grit feeder got wet in the rain. Is the grit still okay? It dries

Oyster shell will not be damaged by getting rained on. Oyster shells are not hurt when they are in the ocean and oysters are living in them. They last hundreds or thousands of years in middens, whether in a salt water or fresh water environment.

Chickens can get calcium from a lot of different sources. Some plants they eat, some creepy crawlies, or even rock if you live in a limestone area. If they are getting sufficient calcium from other things they might not eat any oyster shell that you offer. If you fill a feeder it may last for a full season or longer. If they are not getting enough calcium from other sources it can disappear.

 

[GC-Raptor]

My oyster grit feeder got wet in the rain. Is the grit still okay? It dries

Yes if you dry soon, before mold forms.
I drill 3/32" holes in the bottom of pails that I use for Oyster Shells and Poultry Grit. GC

 

[ChookieG]

That explanation is pretty strange. In the UK soluble grit is a calcium supplement, often oyster shell but you can use limestone or other things. Soluble grit dissolves in gastric juices and can be digested to aid a laying hen make egg shells.

Insoluble grit is usually granite if you buy it at the feed store. It's used to grind up food in the gizzard. Two different things.

In the chickens digestive system the crop comes first, then the proventriculus, then the gizzard. The proventriculus is where gastric juices are first added. I would not count on ground sea shell to help in the gizzard, I'd be concerned it would be dissolved b gastric juices before it could help much in the gizzard.


Oyster shell will not be damaged by getting rained on. Oyster shells are not hurt when they are in the ocean and oysters are living in them. They last hundreds or thousands of years in middens, whether in a salt water or fresh water environment.

Chickens can get calcium from a lot of different sources. Some plants they eat, some creepy crawlies, or even rock if you live in a limestone area. If they are getting sufficient calcium from other things they might not eat any oyster shell that you offer. If you fill a feeder it may last for a full season or longer. If they are not getting enough calcium from other sources it can disappear.

Hmm good point.. I haven't enquired about just oyster shells so I'm not sure whether there are separate products for grit and shells. Will check and let you know.

I noticed that when I give them too much kale there's calcium deposits on their eggs so kale might be another good source of calcium. Just need to be sure they don't get too much of it. I have lots of coarse sand I can give them on the side for extra grit if they can't find enough in/on the ground in the run.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have lots of coarse sand I can give them on the side for extra grit if they can't find enough in/on the ground in the run.

Not sure how big "coarse sand" is to you, but grit for adult birds should be about the size of a small pea. So if the sand you have doesn't have particles around that size, you'll need to source something with bigger particles.

 

[ChookieG]

Not sure how big "coarse sand" is to you, but grit for adult birds should be about the size of a small pea. So if the sand you have doesn't have particles around that size, you'll need to source something with bigger particles.

Oh good thanks for the info! The coarse sand I've got is actually called "gold stones" here which I purchased from a local landscaping supplier. I bought it for some landscaping work but have loads of it left. They consists of roundish white/yellowish stones ranging from between 0.5 cm (1/5 inch) to 1 mm (0.04 inches) so I think that would be suitable!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Oh good thanks for the info! The coarse sand I've got is actually called "gold stones" here which I purchased from a local landscaping supplier. I bought it for some landscaping work but have loads of it left. They consists of roundish white/yellowish stones ranging from between 0.5 cm (1/5 inch) to 1 mm (0.04 inches) so I think that would be suitable!

The bigger pieces may be big enough, though it's good that you have a little variety in sizes as each bird will have their own preference.

 

[ChookieG]

The bigger pieces may be big enough, though it's good that you have a little variety in sizes as each bird will have their own preference.

Yeah I noticed lots of little ones (about 0.11 inches in diameter) in their poo recently... and a triangular piece of hard plastic about the same size too! I frequently comb through the run to make sure there's no foreign object that can harm them but they still manage to find something sometimes that worries me....

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yeah I noticed lots of little ones (about 0.11 inches in diameter) in their poo recently... and a triangular piece of hard plastic about the same size too! I frequently comb through the run to make sure there's no foreign object that can harm them but they still manage to find something sometimes that worries me....

The pieces you've found in the poop are worn down, so basically their body is discarding it once it gets down to that size because it's no longer big enough or sharp enough to do the job.

Plastic is pretty harmless, I'd worry more about glass and metal.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

I switched my birds to a new feed called Poultry Gold
I FINALLY found a feed store nearby and the new feed is fantastic and so cheap!
It's corn, pellets, dried peas and small stones all mixed together and the birds love it.

 

[Cryss]

Found out what that is.. it's coarsely ground-up shell so it acts as both grit for digestion and shell for calcium (see example). Thanks for the info too @GC-Raptor! My local feed store sells 2, 5, and 10 kg packs (4.4, 11, and 22 lbs) so I might go ahead and get the biggest pack. Thank you all for your contribution!!

Oyster shell dissolves. Grit does not. Grit acts as “teeth”. Without it they can’t grind their food. They swallow whole, no chewing. OS is a nutritional supplement. Laying hens require both. Roosters and chicks should not be fed layer type feed. It has calcium in the mix for laying hens that need it for hard egg shells. Roosters and chicks don’t lay so all that calcium will damage their kidneys. They still need grit. For this reason backyard flocks, which usually have a mix of age an gender, should be fed flock raiser type feed supplemented in separate bowls or feeders by grit for everyone and OS for the laying hens. Roosters and chicks will ignore the OS other than an occasional curious nibble. They have no taste for it, but hens will crave it. Both grit and OS should be available 24/7/365. Layer feed is meant for farms that only keep laying hens.