The Poultry Keeper

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

I think I have been told a tarradiddle by my pellet supplier!
They told me that it contains grit and therefore don't need any separate. However after reading a few posts I'm beginning to think that that's not the case.
My flock are all free ranging and on a mixture of layers and growers, do I still need to provide grit as well?

Thanks in advance
Debs

mojo · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:28 pm Post subject: hi

pellets are said to be complete.....but us all being softys to our chooks give them all sort of extras...grit...........oyster shell.....ACV....worming powders ..........treats the list is never ending..........so you must choose your level of extras.............i ...... personally....grit(tiny stones).........oyster shell..acv.....are given regularly and all the rest as and when i have or can afford..........mojo Cool

jaydee67 · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:49 pm Post subject:

... and if they are free ranging they will pcik up small stones/ grit as they go. I give mine what they call shell sand here - looks like this:

There are a couple of places I know of where I can collect it from the shore.

mojo · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:54 pm Post subject: hi

is there beach in east yorkshire i dont know?.............but oyster grit is usually available at pet store...mojo Cool

nigel · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:56 pm Post subject:

Insoluble grit such as hen sized flint grit should be given at the rate of 1oz per bird once a month. Without such grit your birds have no teeth and are unable to make good use of all that is provided and the picked up. Just put the appropriate amount in a pile once a month and they will select what and how much they require. Even if your ground is stony please provide the proper
grit.

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

Thanks all - will check out my options at our local animal food store.
Don't want to think my girls might be neglected!! Smile

Pete&Jackie · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 209 Location: Hertfordshire

So do I not need to put it down daily, they seemed to take a fair bit when we got them but they just kick it over now or fill it with whatever they are scratching up!

NannyP · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:43 pm Post subject:

I have never given mine extra grit, they seem to pick up enough as their egg shells are pretty tough. Very Happy

jaydee67 · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:49 pm Post subject:

nigel · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:38 am Post subject:

Just had a thought.

There are two types of grit

One is the insoluble flint or granite grit that aids digestion, unless you live on stoney ground most birds will need this.

The other is the soluble grit, oyster shell or limestone powder/flour, this is the stuff that increases the birds intake of calcium. This is included in layers pellets/mash.

So I'm not sure your supplier was telling you anything untrue.

Lisa · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 7:28 am Post subject:

Isn't it interesting how chickens can all be happy and healthy on different sorts and levels of grit!

This is what I understood the different sorts of grit were for:

The insoluable grit (aka flint grit) is needed in the gizzard to help break down any whole foods the chickens might eat (wheat, corn, bits of grass, worms..!). The gizzard is a very muscular part of their digestive system and it churns and grinds the contents together to break it down fine enough so it can then be digested properly when it moves further down the digestive tract. Pellets, when wet (ie inside the chickens digestive system) soften and almost fall to bits by themselves, but whole foods don't.

I feed a lot of whole grain and seeds, so I do make sure mine always have extra insoluable grit available.

And I have read somewhere that if chickens don't have a lot of this insoluable grit available they can also, to some extent, adjust the rate at which it goes through them ie they retain what they do have for longer in their gizzards! How clever...

Oyster shell and limestone granules are supposedly given for additional calcium (they get ground down and/or dissolved in the gizzard?) but, AFAIK, they don't contain any of the magnesium and vitamin D that the chickens body would also need to process the calcium properly. When they are in a complete product (mash or pellets) these other ingredients would also be present in the food because it would be balanced nutrionally overall. So I'm not sure if feeding extra oystershell would be the best way to get extra calcium into a chicken's system if needed. If I had a problem with soft shelled eggs I would prefer to use Calcivet than giving extra handfuls of oystershell, as Calcivent does contain the extra magnesium and vitamin D in the ratio needed.

All that said AFAIK I don't think you can give chickens too much of any sort of grit. If they don't need it, they will simply won't eat it (on the grounds that given a free choice they are sensible things and eat what they need and avoid what they don't need, or what is bad for them). But if anyone knows different, please say.

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

Wow! Thanks for that - that has really helped - I didn't realise there was two different types or different reasons for them having it.

What a wealth of information Smile

Thank you!

deanojul67 · Joined: 01 Jul 2005 Posts: 342

i give mine crushed egg shells (there own) and that's it nothing else and have had no probs caused by them not having anything else

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

Well! When I FINALLY get some eggs I will try that - thanks!!!

Any signs regarding approaching laying apart from the 'red bits' as 6 of my 8 girls don't have red bits!!!

Thanks
Debs