[wolverine]

they have grit seperate in a feeder they have grit and calcium apparently in the pellets so why do they insist on eating my wall!!! It's very old and crumbling they seem to be eating quite a lot of it if this carrys on it might colapse!!! any sugestions?

[carolbriar]

Haven't a clue but sounds interesting!  Do they have oyster shell on hand?  Perhaps there is something in the bricks that they feel they need or maybe they are just getting their own grit rather than eating the stuff you have?

[wolverine]

The grit I have has crushed shell in it I don't know if it's oyster shell and the pellets I'm feeding them say no additional grit or oystershell needed but I put it out for them anyway incase they do but no, they love my wall !! I might put some bricks down and try and keep them off it 

[dizzylizzie]

Its fine, they are just sourcing their own grit

[Jeanette]

They are probably trying to find anything that has crawled into the spaces.

[joyfull]

not only that but bricks also contain salt - one of my dogs will lick a wall every now and then for the salt.

[wolverine]

So you think they could be lacking something like salt ? I thought the pellets were a ballanced diet "with everything they need" should I get supliments for the water I've seen then in the shop are they essential? I could pick some up they looked cheap enough there was garlic and poultry drink whatever that is and someone mentioned cider vinegar ?? Should I be using these things ?

[joyfull]

they could just like the taste of them, layers and mash is a complete food so should be giving them all their dietry needs. I sometimes give them apple cider vinegar in their water (25mls per litre) and sometimes will crush a clove of garlic and pop that in instead.

[wolverine]

They have now eaten so many bricks their poo is red like little piles of brick dust around the garden !!  I'd love to know what's so great about old bricks they can't be tasty. 

[scabs]

A lad on the allotment who raises just about everything - chickens, ducks, pigeons, peacocks etc - says that crushed red brick is the best grit you can get. He learned this from one of the old pigeon men, who has raced award-winning pigeons for 50-odd years: "he's so tight. You can hear him smashing red bricks up with a hammer. Must be good for them, he always wins!"

[wolverine]

Just incase anyone interested I managed to stop them eating my wall buy changing the grit to a finer grade my previous grit was quite course and the new stuff is more like big sand and since I put that out no brick eating and no red poos  result