[snowie]

Hi, Just started keeping chickens, and have a question re grit and oyster shell. Before our three chickens arrived, went to the local farm store, to buy all necessary items. Feeder, drinker, layers pellets, grain, oyster shell, bedding and various cleaners etc. I asked the assistant about poultry grit, and was told the oyster shell was a poultry grit.
Reading through some internet sites and Katie Thear's 'Starting with Chickens', it is not 100% clear wither oyster shell should be given with grit, or it is a grit?
For the time being, the chickens are confined to a fairly small run, (new bigger, much improved run being built at present!!), so there is not much 'natural grit' for them to pick up.
So, along with layers pellets, grain and oyster shell, should I also be giving them grit?
Advice much appreciated.

[ANHBUC]

Hi snowie and welcome to the site.

Yes they will also need grit so that they can digest their food (it acts as teeth and grinds their food in the gizzard).  Oyster shell is for when they are laying to help them produce a strong egg shell.  Some stores do sell a mixture of grit and oyster shell which might be what you have bought.   

[pepsi100]

mm, better get some more grit in then, they just been getting oyster shell and ground up egg shells 

[grinling]

I put  my grit and oyster shell in 2 small clay plant pots which are held in position with camping stakes.

[ANHBUC]

I put  my grit and oyster shell in 2 small clay plant pots which are held in position with camping stakes.

That is a good idea as they do love to knock pots over, clumsy birds.