What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

Hello Omleteers!

 

I was wondering how much grit four hens should get through each day or week. I have a small cat food bowl with some in and whenever I fill it up (normally a couple of times a week), I find it filled with run detritus like bark chippings the same day and most of the grit gone! Is that normal? Do they eat grit like billy-oh?

 

And is there a cheap way of getting bulk grit? I have a bit left from a 1kg bag which I got about six weeks ago, but if they are eating it so quickly, can I get the relevant grit from, say, a builders suppliers, or do I need to find a poultry specialist? I got my grit from a chicken breeder, but I'm keen to buy in bulk if possible as he doesn't sell in bulk.

 

Thanks,

Anna x

[Old Speckled Hen]

Grit is what hens use for teeth ....as they don't have any.

Feed Ad Lib

I used to put mine in a flat dish which was always tipped up.

Now I keep it in a parrot feeding dish hooked onto the run mesh so it's not upended.

Keep the container filled and let them take as much as they need.

Chooks on mash will need little.

The rougher and more unprocessed the food the more your chooks will need grit to store in the gizzard to grind their food.

If they free range a lot they will pick up all the little stones they need.

 

You need poultry grit.

It sounds as if your lot is throwing it about and wasting it.

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

I know they need it for their gizzards, but I was wondering if they are getting enough because I can't tell, what with all the messing around they do with the container. I'm wodering if I need to top it up daily.

 

And what happens to it? Do they poo it out? Does it 'filter' or 'sieve' through them? I am so naive!

 

Anna x

[Guest]

we use a coop cup attached to the mesh and just fill it as necessary with grit and oyster shell. i'm sure it must come out the far end eventually or they wouldn't need to keep eating it i assume

[Old Speckled Hen]

It's poo'ed out but having done its job is smaller.

I always did think that oyster shell grit was very large and watching the chooks droppings, as you do, it never seemed to appear at all.

You need to keep the container full and if they are throwing it about try something less wastefull.

[Egluntyne]

If they are free ranging regularly, they should pick up enough of the stones to do the grinding up job.

 

I give th em mixed poultry grit any way, as a belt and braces approach.

 

I have it in several plantpots which are secured to the ground in their ranging with a tent peg. It works well.

 

They are often full of leaves etc, but I just scatter the contents on the ground and fill them up again.

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

I can only free range them if I am physically standing over them, because even when I am, there is a fox standing over me. So it's an hour a day, during which time they go 'BOK BOK GRASS GRASS GRASS!!!!' and peck the lawn away to dust. Who needs grit when you have the green stuff, they think. So I don't think they're getting much grit during that hour. It is most odd they have this 'refill the bowl with bark' obsession.

 

Anna x

[Old Speckled Hen]

I can only free range them if I am physically standing over them, because even when I am, there is a fox standing over me. So it's an hour a day, during which time they go 'BOK BOK GRASS GRASS GRASS!!!!' and peck the lawn away to dust. Who needs grit when you have the green stuff, they think. So I don't think they're getting much grit during that hour. It is most odd they have this 'refill the bowl with bark' obsession

 

Oh Anna that's awful!!

Why does it have to be that way?

When I moved up here I took with me...three old chooks adopted from a client.

One lapsed night when my mum was house sitting a fox took them all, burying one.....my favourite...in neighbours' asparagus patch.

Mine free range all daylight hours,even if I'm not at home and they are safe because country foxes are shy. They used to be hunted on foot here, perhaps they remember?

[Guest]

Mine free range all daylight hours,even if I'm not at home and they are safe because country foxes are shy. They used to be hunted on foot here, perhaps they remember?

 

Ours used to free range all day until a shy country fox came and took one of them. Now they only free range if we are in the house they go back in the run when we go out. Of course we were in when the fox came - in fact we were in and out of the garden all day and it probably happened whilst we mowed the front lawn.

 

We don't bother with grit anymore as they never touched it - in fact we'd completely forgotton about it until we got our "batty girls" when we dumped the old grit out of the bowl we put it on top of a plant pot - they batties when straight in there and started scoffing it. Our girls freerange most of the day so I guess they don't feel the need for the grit - but this thread has reminded me to tuck some into their run, as the weather gets bad they will spend more time in there as there doesn't seem a lot of point in letting them out to huddle under a bush (or just sit on the summerhouse verandah and poo!)

[helenmb]

I bought a huge sack of poultry grit from a local animal feeds place - I think it was a 25kg bag and it was less than a tenner (try phoning first to avoid disappointment). That was a year ago and I've still got loads and loads left. By far the cheapest way. I am sure there must be a similar kind or place near to where you live. I found the one I use when I looked up suppliers of organic poultry feed from a manufacturer's website, I would never have found the supplier myself as its tucked away in a small industrial site.

 

I think they instinctively know how much they need and will help themselves as and when. I also add a bit of oyster grit to their mash as well - you can buy that in most diy stores in the pet department.

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

Thanks Helen.

[KAZAROO]

I can only free range them if I am physically standing over them, because even when I am, there is a fox standing over me. So it's an hour a day, during which time they go 'BOK BOK GRASS GRASS GRASS!!!!' and peck the lawn away to dust. Who needs grit when you have the green stuff, they think. So I don't think they're getting much grit during that hour. It is most odd they have this 'refill the bowl with bark' obsession

 

Oh Anna that's awful!!

Why does it have to be that way?

When I moved up here I took with me...three old chooks adopted from a client.

One lapsed night when my mum was house sitting a fox took them all, burying one.....my favourite...in neighbours' asparagus patch.

Mine free range all daylight hours,even if I'm not at home and they are safe because country foxes are shy. They used to be hunted on foot here, perhaps they remember?

 

MY FOX ALSO VISITS DURING THE DAY- HENCE MY FREE- RANGING JRTS.....

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

What's a JRT?

[mostin]

I bought an extra grub and fill it with a mixture of poultry grit and crushed oyster shell. They just help themselves when they need it and because of the grubs design they don't waste it. I think one grub full is going to last me 6 months at the slow rate they are going through it.

[Hen Watch]

Even though mine free range, they do eat the Mixed Poultry Grit I provide. I got a 25kg sack £5.99 from Country Wide Farmers but I'm not sure if they have stores in Kent (need to check their website).

 

I use a cheap plastic Coup Cup bought from a pet shop. It has wire hangers so it hangs off the run bars nicely and chooks can't mess it up.

 

[Milly]

Mine free range (behind an electric fence) all day and don't eat much grit. But they eat the oyster shell like it's ordinary food.

 

If you go to somewhere like Countrywide (or equivalent) you can get grit very cheaply for a 25 kg sack (as someone said). I can't imagine mine ever getting through it though! They have different sizes for chicks/growers and adults.

 

Milly

[new chick]

I have a little pot attached to run too

 

Never touched.

 

I scatter soluable and insoluble Ca (from Contrywide) in the free-range area.

 

They free range from about 11 am to bedtime, behind electric fence.

 

Live in Rural Cheshire, do see foxes, at night crossing the road, and have seen 1 early morning in field at back of house.

 

Hoping Electric fence keeps them away.

 

NC

[emmalou]

I have ssen this grit online for 3.90 euros for a 2.5 kilo bag (obviously in France). Not sure if the garden centres do it. However does this need to be kept dry? If I leave it im my run should I buy one of those dishes that clips on the grill and is covered to stop it getting wet? The run is sheltered by trees but not a cover and this will be tricky to do as we are quite exposed where we are. Also 2.5 kilo bag doesn't sound very big for 5 birds?

[Casey76]

Grit and oystershell (coquille de huitre) should be provided separately. I've never covered mine, and usually have them in terracotta plant pots anchored near the coop/feeding area.

 

They will need less grit than oyster if they are foraging in the ground, as they will pick up grit and gravel from the ground naturally.

[Luvachicken]

Grit and oystershell (coquille de huitre) should be provided separately.

 

 

Can I ask why they need to be separate ?

[Cat tails]

I think he/she meant seperate from the food. Not seperate from eachother.

[Luvachicken]

I think he/she meant seperate from the food. Not seperate from eachother.

 

Ooops silly me

[mullethunter]

I don't give mine oyster shell. I chuck their grit in the dust baths.