The Science Of Feeding Grit To Poultry

[amenfarm]

My little coop doesn't really have room for another dish. I've just been tossing my grit on the floor plus where I let them roam for a bit each day. How do I know they are getting enough?

I put a cut a quart plastic milk jug to hold grit and hung it from the end of the roost and one is hung through the wall of the coop. I tried tossing it on the floor to less than stellar results.

 

[sharidb]

You have very lucky chickens...their feed looks great, keep up the good job

!

 

[MandBducks]

I just gave my ducklings some mashed hard boiled egg. I added some grit in with the ducklings but other than a little treat of egg they are on chick starter only. Should I leave the grit in free choice all the time now even though their next non-commercial feed meal won't be for another 24 hours?

 

[MeepBeep]

Yes, it's best to leave the grit 24/7 and let them consume what they need when they need it... They really don't need it for eggs as they are soft and easy to digest especially if you already mashed it, but they will need it for vegetables, greens, meats/bugs, grains and seeds...

 

[Tika75]

I put a cut a quart plastic milk jug to hold grit and hung it from the end of the roost and one is hung through the wall of the coop. I tried tossing it on the floor to less than stellar results.

I'll have to do something like that. I was thinking that on the floor gives them something to do.

 

[MeepBeep]

You can see my grit (granite and oyster) feeders in the right corner, very little space taken up... Those service about 100 birds you could do much smaller for less birds...

It's a section of smaller PVC pipe with a larger PVC cap...

Held to wall with keyhole hangers

 

[0wen]

Yep but still have to drive that far to nearest feed store and it close to work anyway

I just moved out of Mayberry in March. I saw where Russel (Floyd) passed away last week unfortunately...

Anyway... I'd grab a bag of the quarry grit if I were you.

 

[kbky1973]

I've had chickens, for 55years. Never fed grit. Never had but one sour crop. Saved that one easy. Bagged grit is all money for the rock company. 1 cent of grit, sales for 5.99$ .All profit. Hand full of sand from outside any where. Turn um out in the run. They will kick up their own grit.

 

[MeepBeep]

I've had chickens, for 55years. Never fed grit. Never had but one sour crop. Saved that one easy. Bagged grit is all money for the rock company. 1 cent of grit, sales for 5.99$ .All profit.

Don't confuse anecdotal experience with empirical evidence, or suggest that just because what didn't happen to you won't happen to others these are fallacies... Not everyone's setup is identical, thus there is no single fit all answer or solution, what works wonderful for some very well would be a total disaster for others...

Fact is not all terrain is the same, it varies greatly by region, sure in some areas there is suitable grit to be found, but that doesn't apply everywhere or to everyone... Also the amount of range is important as well, if your chickens are confined to a run area or even small yard they will deplete that area of suitable grit in time... In my area for as long as I can remember when they do new housing developments they strip all the top soil, grade with clay then put down maybe two inches of screened top soil and seed or they lay the sod over the clay resulting in just a few inches of soil then clay... This this doesn't exactly leave ripe land for the chickens to scratch and obtain grit or even bugs from, especially when most neighborhoods have a large percentage of people spraying this or that on their lawns...

Hand full of sand from outside any where. Turn um out in the run. They will kick up their own grit.

Sand is not the appropriate size for adult chicken grit, nor are the 'round' pebbles found in construction sand optimal for grit... If there is no grit on the surface ground in your location it's not going to magically appear because the chickens are kicking around...

As for it's worth or profit margin, I personally don't care, it's worth the $5.99 to me, as it's almost a certainty that I make that amount and than some back in better feed conversion due to them having proper grit, plus $5.99 is a drop in the bucket in the overall expenses well worth the piece of mind that they have suitable grit at all times even if nothing else...

I get it other people have a fend for themselves philosophy, are too cheap to spend the money or don't think it's worth the money, and to them I will have to beg to differ on those ideals...

 

[kbky1973]

Just do your thing. Ill do mine. And raising chicks is not rocket science. I've farmed my whole life raising cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, plus working public works so ill say this. You are talking BS. Telling young folks this bunch of crap. Bye now.