Have you heard about chicken grit, but you aren't sure what it is for and why your chickens need it? Keep reading to learn what grit is, if you need to give it to your chickens, and common misconceptions about grit.
Why do chickens need grit
If you have chickens or have been around them you have probably noticed that chickens do not have any teeth! However, chickens will still each almost anything and digest it.
Instead of using teeth like we do, chickens use grit in their gizzard to grind up food before it goes on to the rest of the digestive tract. As the chicken eats, the gizzard contracts, thereby mixing and breaking up the feed. As you can see grit is a necessary part of an adult chicken's diet.
If chickens have a lack of grit in their gizzard, they cannot digest their food and will wind up with digestive issues.
Do baby chicks need grit
Most people don't realize that chicks also need grit in their diet. Chicks can digest their chick crumble feed without grit but if they start eating whole foods they need grit in their diet.
Since chicks have small gizzards you have to give them chick grit which is different that adult chicken grit. You can either buy chick grit or just sift grit that is for adult chickens so you get smaller pieces of gravel.
Chicks can also get their own grit from picking it out of soil. I always add a cup of soil to my brooder to help boost my chicks immune system and so they can have free choice grit.
Keep in mind that you are better off putting soil in their brooder that is from your garden because bagged soil will not have the same qualities as soil from the ground.
Do free range chickens need grit
In the wild chickens do not need extra grit because they simply find natural grit from the soil and this supplies all their grit needs. So do free-range chickens need grit?
If you let your chickens free range all day long they should not need supplemental grit in their diet. However, if your chickens are in an area where there are not a lot of small rocks you should give them some free choice grit.
My hens will free range in our wooded part of our property in the summer. Because of this they don't require as much chicken feed or grit. In the summer I actually won't give them any grit because they can find tiny rocks in our woods.
In the winter I do offer my chickens both oyster shells and grit because the snow covers the ground and they can't find those tiny rocks as easy.
If your chickens free range and you don't see any signs of digestive issues, your chickens probably don't need extra grit.
Are oyster shells the same as grit
The short answer is no oyster shells are not the same thing as grit. Oyster shells are a calcium supplement that you feed chickens to thicken their egg shells.
While giving your hens free choice ground-up oyster shells is a great idea; oyster shells are just a calcium supplement and cannot take the place of grit.
I will occasionally give my hens oyster shells to help them produce strong eggshells. Just like the grit, I usually only offer oyster shells in the winter or when I notice their eggshells are getting thin.
If your hens have a calcium deficiency they will start to pull extra calcium from their bones to strengthen their eggshells. This is a serious problem, so always monitor the egg shell strength of your laying hens.
Does commercial feed have grit in it
While commercial chicken feed that is either in pellet or crumble form does not require grit to digest it that does not mean your chickens can get by without grit. Chickens will still eat food that requires grit to digest.
I feed my chickens whole grains in the form of scratch. These whole grains require grit to digest. In fact if your hens are getting a balanced diet they should be offered grit.
Kitchen scraps are another food source that chickens need grit to digest. Chickens will naturally eat other insects, amphibians, and even mammals (mice) that require grit to digest.
How do I know if my chickens are getting enough grit
If your hens are allowed to free range, they are most likely getting enough grit in their digestive tract. However, offering them free access to grit will never harm them.
The consequences of your chickens not having grit can be bad and grit is an essential part of a chicken diet, so it is always a good idea to offer them grit.
Where to find grit
Grit is a very common chicken feed supplement so you should not have any trouble finding it. Your local feed store should have grit, but if you cannot find it you can buy it here.
Types of poultry grit
There are two main types of grit that you can offer your chickens, soluble and insoluble grit. Soluble grit is made of calcium carbonate and is often called oyster shell grit. As we stated earlier oyster shells are a good source of calcium for your flock, but it should not take the place of insoluble grit.
Insoluble grit is actually made of small stones with sharp edges (usually in the form of natural quartzite or crushed granite). It is called insoluble because this grit will not dissolve in the chicken's digestive tract. Eventually the chickens will discreate this grit along with their chicken food.
How To Offer Grit To Chickens
A great way to offer grit to chickens is "free choice". Free choice simply means that you are setting the grit out and letting the chickens eat the grit whenever they want.
Amazingly enough chickens know when they need to eat grit to digest food! You can fill a container with grit and simply place it in your chicken coop where the hens have free access to it. This match box holder would also make a great way to offer your chickens grit.
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