Chicken grit12/22/2023 ![]() The white barred and black barred chickens are now approximately 10 weeks old. Now,here's how the other chickens have grown over the past month. I was in a distraught mood all day while repairing and improving the coop to make it a safer environment for my remaining hens. The coop was chicken-proof, but not cat-proof. The idea that there could be a predator strong enough to get IN, never entered my mind. But, I relized that it had been my thinking all along in building the coops, that I was building something a chicken could not get out of. All that remained were a few scattered small feathers from each. The chicken wire had been forced loose near the ground enough to let the critter enter, and one by one, carry Gumdrop and Lolly away. While I did not see the gruesome act, it is the only thing I can conclude. But, I had no idea that instead, I had left them vulnerable to a feral cat. So, I thought I was doing Gumdrop and Lolly a favor. (If a smaller chicken tries to get some feed, they will peck at them and chase them away. ![]() I can’t really say much more, I’m not trying to sell it to you - just highlighting how it operates as a feeder.I decided to let Gumdrop and Lolly have their own quarters for awhile since, in the main coop, I have several roosters who have proven to be real bullies. The lid lifts off, you pour your grit in, then place the lid back on. ![]() It’s made from heavy-duty plastic, so it’s durable and can withstand being in a coop with dozens of chickens pecking away. It does everything you’ll need from a grit feeder. Here is an example of the one I use on Amazon: Premier Poultry Grit and Oyster Shell Feeder All they need to do is hold grit and allow easy access for chickens to stick their heads in and eat some. ![]() Chicken Grit FeedersĬhicken grit hoppers aren’t fancy pieces of equipment. Related - Some ideas for what to use as grit for baby chicks. They told me their chicken’s peck at the sand and get enough grit this way - so it works. I know some backyard owners that use sand to cover the floor in their chick’s coop and run and don’t provide any separate grit. Sand is hard enough to help break up food in their gizzard, although grit that’s a little bigger is probably more optimal. That’s for the insoluble grit in place of flint grit as I explained earlier. Yes, you can use sand for chicken grit if you want to. But to be honest I think most owners add a separate grit feeder to their coop or run and leave it up to their chicks when and how much grit they eat. I know some backyard flock owners that do this. I mentioned above in the feeding methods that you can mix grit in with your chicken’s feed if you want. See also 67+ Names for a Baby Chicken (Cool, Funny, Cute & More) Do You Mix Grit in With Chicken Food? I use a crushed oyster shell grit with added calcium like this one available on Amazon: How Do You Feed Chickens Grit? Keep in mind that a laying hen requires around 4-5 grams of calcium a day to keep up will producing an egg almost every day. You can actually break up eggshells and feed that back to your hens too, that works just as well. Formulated chicken feeds do a great job of meeting that need, but some extra calcium-rich grit will help. The other type of grit you need to supply for your hens is oyster shell grit also known as soluble gritĪ laying hen requires a calcium-rich diet to produce strong eggs daily. All you need to do is keep their grit feeder topped up with this and your chickens will instinctively take as much as they need to aid their digestion. I use the Manna Pro stuff I’ve linked below on Amazon. It’s still a good idea to provide them some, but it’s amazing what they find while foraging around. See also How to Keep Dogs and Chickens (In Harmony)įor the most part, chickens that are free-range all day will find enough grit.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |