when do you start feeding grit ?

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salt and pepper

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when do you start feeding grit ?
« on: August 03, 2011, 12:20 »
what age can you start to feed grit ?

i think my girls are about 14 week old or do you wait til P.O.L will the pieces be too big ?

 

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Casey76

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Re: when do you start feeding grit ?
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2011, 12:27 »
At 14 weeks your hens will be just about adult size, and you'll find over the next year or so they will "beef up" and get broader, bit not necessarily bigger (longer/taller)

There are two kinds of grit... hard or flint grit - this should be available all hte time, as this is what the hens eat and 'store" in their gizzard to help grind up the food they eat.

Then there is the oystershell.  This is contains soluable calcium and helps the birds form good egg shells.  It can be argued that in modern times with scientifically monitored compound feeds auxilliary supplementation of oystershell shouldn't be needed... but better be safe than sorry ;)

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salt and pepper

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Re: when do you start feeding grit ?
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2011, 12:53 »
Thanks for quick response, i bought oystershell grit ready for when needed. let me get this right, oystershell is used when at p.o.l to give the eggs a good shell, so do i need to buy the hard/flint grit too, or will the oystershell do the same job in the gizzard to grind the food up  :wacko:

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Casey76

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Re: when do you start feeding grit ?
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2011, 12:58 »
You will need to buy some flint grit too :)  If your hens free range, they will naturally pick up some small stones etc from foraging inthe grass/ground.  but if they have a special pot of hard grit, it will make life easier for them ;)

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ehs284

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Re: when do you start feeding grit ?
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2011, 19:42 »
If you get a bag of mixed grit and shell (25kg costs peanuts at the farm shop - don't go for small pots bought over the internet), then the chooks will sort it out for themselves and take what they need. It seems they know what to eat with what and when. If I give them corn then they'll go straight to the grit tub and then to drink. Different food; different behaviour. HTH


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