Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[beach chick]

just given them a bowl of grit, and they fell on it like half-starved orphans... havent had any grit for a while, and usually I just chuck it on the ground for them anyway, assuming that as they freerange from dawn til dusk they'd pick it up if they wanted it. now I feel really guilty for not having provided a constant supply in an earthenware bowl for their delectation 24/7!! still, perhaps its the novelty factor.

 

on the plus side, they now have sparkling clean eglus and runs, all diatomed and redmitepowdered, and have chucked some on the earth of the runs (which they are currently using as their dustbaths) and in the outside dust baths too.

perhaps I'm forgiven?!

[skye]

Hmmm... I've never given mine a separate bowl of grit either... usually just mix it in with their pellets and scatter it on the ground in their run... think I'll follow your example and see what they make of it today!

 

They have been free ranging every day recently, judging by the amount of dirt they kick about i'm sure they're finding plenty of grit in the garden too.

 

Hope your girls like their new sparkly eglus and homes! (They'll have them dug over again in no time!)

 

Skye x

[Egluntyne]

IF they are free ranging they will pick up enough from the ground. Mine free range, but ai leave a large plantpotful out anyway.....and it does go down.

[HENthusiastic]

Don't think they will have any trouble finding enough grit if they freerange. Its amazing what they find....... stones..... bricks...... bits of plastic........

[beach chick]

guess how they've repaid me for my efforts?

- laid one on the bars which has broken, and

- one or more has decided to start moulting - there are feathers EVERYWHERE!

 

little beasts

[sandyhas3chucks]

And I didn't know NOT to leave grit with them always! Mine free range most of the time but always go to the 3 places grit is kept when they need it I assume. Always always just before going to bed!