When to add grit to their diet

[carl0209]

At what age do I need to add grit to their diets? And is it added to the feed or do I just sprinkle it around the coop run?

 

[PearlGrey]

carl, I'm no expert! This is my first time. But one - just one! - of my RIR chicks had pasty bottom, so I bought some chick grit because the Chicken Bible (aka the Gail Damerow book, Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens) said that was the thing to do for pasty bottom.

I mixed one pound of grit to twenty pounds of feed and started feeding it when my girls were not even a week old. No more pasty bottom! And the girls are doing fine.

 

[JekkaLynn]

If they are outside on dirt/grass and don't have problems with their crops I dont think you need to feed grit. You can offer it just incase they can't find enough small stones in their run but then you just need to give them a bowl of it to eat when they need it.

 

[3riverschick]

At what age do I need to add grit to their diets? And is it added to the feed or do I just sprinkle it around the coop run?

Most people I know just go from the chick to the adult. At Tractor Supply:

I get Gran-I-Grit at my Agway for 50 lbs. for 9.99

Why grit is important. And they do say to sprinkle on the feed for the 1st 2 days. http://www.countrysideorganics.com/product-faqs/product-facts/ Go to the URL above and click on " What Do I Need to Know About Grit? "

http://www.ncgranite.com/images/gritmailer.pdf

Karen

 

[carl0209]

Thank you Karen!!!

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
All kinds of info on grit and how to use it : Gran-I-Grit ;
North Carolina Granite Company. Selling Poultry Grit since 1935.
http://www.ncgranite.com/crushed-stone-surry-county/cut-stone-mt-airy-nc/gran-i-grit-products.html
Almost every formula I found is circa 9.00 for 50 lbs. :
Company product brochure PDF . Note the increase in eggs.
http://www.ncgranite.com/images/gritmailer.pdf

Gran-I-Grit has 5 sizes available.
Starter(size 1/16"-3/32")
Grower (3/32"-3/16")
Layer (3/16"-5/16")
Turkey (5/16"-7/16")
Turkey Finisher (7/16"-5/8")

All info below from the following page:
http://tinyurl.com/lybg9lj

How to use:
Broilers:
Grower size for next four weeks.
Feed Developer Layer size after six weeks.
Layers:
Feed Starter size for three weeks.
Feed Grower size for next four weeks.
Feed Developer Layer size after seven weeks.
Turkeys: Feed Grower for size for three weeks.
Feed Developer-Layer size for next five weeks.
Feed Turkey size for next six weeks.
Feed Turkey finisher size after fourteenth week.
Amount to Feed
Usually a bird will eat no more grit than it needs,
which for a layer is 1/6 to 1/3 lbs per month.
For an adult turkey 1/3 to 2/3 lbs per month. If an
occasional flock eats too much grit, change to the
next larger size.
Birds pass out grit that is too small. The best rule is to
feed the largest size the birds will eat in normal quantities.

Best Regards,
Karen in western PA