4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[quinlan]

Im really pleased to say that my mum and dad ordered an eglu which arrived at their home in Ireland while we were there over the easter holidays and they picked up their chickens on Sunday (we left on Friday so sadly didn't get to meet them - boo!!)

 

They are really enjoying them and I've had a few queries which I've been able to help them with (all the sorts of things I was asking on here 7 months ago!) however there is one thing I need your advice with! There isn't anywhere where they live that sells grit. The girls are at the moment in the eglu run on grass, in a week or so they will be moved into the walk in run my dad is busy building for them and will be on bark chipings (I sugested aubiose but again nowhere in the south of Ireland seems to sell it) They will be free renging during the day when my parents are around due to foxes and mink being around. So my question is will they get enough grit just in the garden (which is really a meadow) Or would crushed egg shells do the same thing? I give that to my girls but thought it was just to help harden their eggs...

 

Any advice will be gratefully passed on to my parents!!! Thank you

[Egluntyne]

Grit is for grinding the food in the gizzard. You can get plain flint grit, and mixed poultry grit which contains fragments of seashell an d is a source of soluble calcium. If they are only getting their grit by free ranging, then adding baked crushed egg shells to the diet , or limestone flour (available via ebay) would be a good idea.

[quinlan]

Thanks for your reply, will they get enough grit just from free ranging then? My girl free range every day but I still throw a handful of grit into their run as well.

 

And if my folks girls didn't get out for a coulpe of days (it rains alot there sometimes!) is there a grit alternative or will the eggshell/limestone flour be enough??

[BarbaraJ]

i'm sure they could find some mixed grit on ebay?

[wiblick]

Quinlan!

 

have your parents contact me if they are having difficulty in getting things, I've sourced a few Irish suppliers. Postage can be v.steep from ebay suppliers.

 

http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/

 

and

 

www.ascott.biz

 

do excellent shipping rates to Ireland and have everything they'll need including flint or mixed grit.

 

What county are they in?

 

Aoife

petandpot AT yahoo.co.uk

[quinlan]

Thanks for all of your replies...........

 

Wiblick, they are in Kerry. Tis beautiful!!! Thanks for those links, I'll pass them on and tell them to get in touch. Am sure you could offer them lots of advice about hteir new hobby!!!!