What kind of container do you use for grit?

[Sueby]

Sue,

Do you need to clean that at some point? If so, how do you do that with it nailed to the coop wall?

TWG

I haven't had any reason to clean it yet, its tucked into a corner so it doesn't get messy. But I did see someone here post that they extended the 2 screw holes so they could just slide it on & off the screws (if that makes sense)! I thought that was clever & will do it if/when I ever have to clean it.

 

[Ra_]

Sand isn't large enough to serve as grit in adult chickens. #3 adult grit is about 5/16" diameter. That is large enough to lodge in the gizzard of chickens over 7 weeks of age.

Didn't know that. What are the consequences?
I've been doing it for years and they stuff themselves with sunflower seeds.
I haven't noticed any problems. Everybody is healthy and lays like crazy.
Great hatch rates.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Didn't know that. What are the consequences?
I've been doing it for years and they stuff themselves with sunflower seeds.
I haven't noticed any problems. Everybody is healthy and lays like crazy.
Great hatch rates.

They aren't getting the full benefit from nutrients in their feed if the grit isn't appropriate for the size of the bird because it isn't sufficiently ground.
Maybe they are finding sufficient sized coarse stone in their travels.

Sometimes people don't offer grit if they only feed a manufactured feed since the feed is already ground in a hammer mill but grit will still break that feed down further.
I used to take that approach and not provide grit till chicks were outside foraging.
Then on a whim, I gave a batch of chicks a chick feeder of chick grit. (sand size)
They were ravenous for it. I started giving chicks grit from the start. It helps develop the gizzard.
At one point I sold some chicks from a hatch to a friend. It turned out she got several cockerels so I agreed to trade her a pullet for a cockerel.
I had no plans to reintroduce him to the flock so since I was also butchering some of my birds, I butchered him too. I was really surprised at the results. These birds were all from the same flock parentage, same age, same hatch. All of my birds' gizzards were twice the size of that of her bird she had raised from a new chick with no grit.

They don't have teeth. The grit in the gizzard serves as their teeth grinding the feed after it leaves the proventriculus (first stomach) where digestive enzymes mix with the feed. If we swallowed without chewing our food, we would get the same result that chickens do without grit.

 

[cheekychick3]

Hi, yes i also use the stainless steel bowls, for grit, and oyster shell. Find them
easy to clip on the wire on the run. I have a a few of them, as i have 12 hens.
I also bought a few of these, in pic below, ( grit hoppers) as thought they were great. Pity my girls did"nt. lol.
They just prefer the steel bowls. A few tried them, but only cause they were curious.lol
Maybe it was because i used the steel bowls first, and they were used to them. But these
grit hoppers as they are called, i thought was better. But what do us chicken Mamas
know. lol If you do decide to buy the steel bowls, if you google them, you will find them a lot cheaper, elsewhere. And these grit hoppers are cheap as well.

 

[Ra_]

Maybe they are finding sufficient sized coarse stone in their travels.

The land here is solid sand. No rocks. Not even tiny pebbles. I do have the remainder of a pile of 20 yards of river bottom dirt that i had delivered 10 years ago. They could be getting it there. I have been putting chick grit only on the chicks in the brooder's food.
The birds I'm breeding now only stay in the brooder for a week or less.
I'll get some adult grit and offer it to them and see what happens.
Thanks.

 

[NNYchick]

I use these one side for grit and one for oyster shells. Found at TSC in the goat section.

 

[ValerieJ]

hmmm... I scatter grit and oyster shell under the apple trees. Is that bad?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I've seen people use those cute old fashion match holder thingys.... Not sure what they are called though

 

[GC-Raptor]

A 25 pound bag of Poultry Grit lasted 2.5 years with 5 Golden Comets. But I have rocky soil. I barely made a dent in the second bag. I offer it separately and recently started to mix 10 ounces into a 25 pound bag of Scratch Grains that I give as a treat scattered on the ground. I haven't allowed free ranging with my Pullets yet. GC

 

[ValerieJ]

GawdNO! take that off there.