Shell Grit - How long will it last?

[ChookieG]

Hey guys, I'm thinking of getting a pack of shell grit but am not sure whether I should get a bulk pack which would be much cheaper than getting a smaller one. So am wondering how much I should get.

I have 4 hens and 1 rooster and am feeding them a 1% calcium diet and have also left some baked blended egg shells on the side for extra calcium for the girls but am wanting to switch to shell grit instead. For those of you who feed their girls shell grit, how much do you get through in a given period? Thanks!

 

[kerbotx]

What is shell grit? Here in the US, we have oyster shell as a calcium supplement, and poultry grit to help them grind up their food. Both would last a long time, especially with only 5 birds. It really comes down to how much you want to spend, and how much storage space you have. The grit would last forever, the oyster shell would too, as long as it didn't get wet.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I have 4 hens and 1 rooster and am feeding them a 1% calcium diet and have also left some baked blended egg shells on the side for extra calcium for the girls but am wanting to switch to shell grit instead. For those of you who feed their girls shell grit, how much do you get through in a given period? Thanks!

Each of my hens consume about 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of Oyster Shells yearly on a 1% Calcium feed.
I can buy a 50 lb (23 kg) bag for about $12 or 5 lb (2.3 kg) for $6. I buy the larger bag and it lasts 2 to 3 years for my variable size Flock (3 to 10) currently 7 hens.
Keep it dry and it'll last year's. I keep mine in a spare room in my house.

GC

 

[ChookieG]

What is shell grit? Here in the US, we have oyster shell as a calcium supplement, and poultry grit to help them grind up their food. Both would last a long time, especially with only 5 birds. It really comes down to how much you want to spend, and how much storage space you have. The grit would last forever, the oyster shell would too, as long as it didn't get wet.

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!!

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Grit and oyster shell will last indefinitely...they’re basically rocks.

When I first got chickens, my father gave me a bag of oyster shell he hadn’t finished when he had chickens when I was a kid (I was about 38 at the time).

 

[ChookieG]

Grit and oyster shell will last indefinitely...they’re basically rocks.

When I first got chickens, my father gave me a bag of oyster shell he hadn’t finished when he had chickens when I was a kid (I was about 38 at the time).

What!? You were a 38 year old kid?? Sorry!!

 

[kerbotx]

Oyster shell is soluble, grit is insoluble so that it stays in the gizzard a while, so that product may not work as advertised. Anybody else have firsthand experience that suggests otherwise?

 

[PVILLAGO]

Each of my hens consume about 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of Oyster Shells yearly on a 1% Calcium feed.
I can buy a 50 lb (23 kg) bag for about $12 or 5 lb (2.3 kg) for $6. I buy the larger bag and it lasts 2 to 3 years for my variable size Flock (3 to 10) currently 7 hens.
Keep it dry and it'll last year's. I keep mine in a spare room in my house.View attachment 2682411
GC

Are these added on top of their food or placed in a seperate bowl. I read they will eat this and egg shells as they need?

 

[GC-Raptor]

Are these added on top of their food or placed in a seperate bowl. I read they will eat this and egg shells as they need?

I keep Oyster Shells and Granite Grit each in a separate container.
GC

 

[PippinTheChicken]

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