Unsecure chicken perches

[Chino4]

My problem is that my chickens are eating so much grit that it's passing straight through! Is this a sign of some sort of ill health or do I simply cut down on the grit that they have available? Every morning when they are let out they make a beeline for the grit bowl and really tuck in before looking for any "proper" food.

 

Any ideas anybody?

[Sam]

I'd give them limited access to the grit and/or sprinkle a sufficient amount of grit on the floor so they will eat their pellets first.

[squiffs]

My problem is that my chickens are eating so much grit that it's passing straight through! Is this a sign of some sort of ill health or do I simply cut down on the grit that they have available? Every morning when they are let out they make a beeline for the grit bowl and really tuck in before looking for any "proper" food.

 

Any ideas anybody?

 

 

mine make a dash for the grit bowl in the couple of minutes between being let out for the morning and me putting the feed out.

[Henchanted]

If you mean flint grit, it is not digestible, inside the chickens gizzard it grinds up food like corn etc so that the hen can then digest and absorb the nutrients from it. So it will pass through in tact

 

Oyster shell is essentially the soluble grit that the hens absorb calcium from.

 

Either way I don't think you have anything to worry about, just check that you are giving them some with oyster shell to keep their egg shells strong...

[Chino4]

Thanks everybody. They seem happy enough to have their grit supply reduced and they're getting sufficient oyster shell although I do worry in case the shell is too co"Ooops, word censored!". They do seem to have lost all interest in their usual feed of layer pellets and corn. However, they're still very keen on baby spinach leaves (especially Sainsbury's!) and they like our wild bird food and most kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s. They seem healthy but maybe a bit underweight. Does anybody have any idea what a 15 month old Buff Orpington should weigh?

[Henchanted]

Personally I would not restrict the grit but the kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s, treats and corn

 

If they eat too much corn (no more than a about a teaspoonful of corn per hen a day) or s"Ooops, word censored!"s they will fill up on this but this is too high in fat and carbs to give them all they need. They do not understand that the pellets are the best most balanced feed for them (but we do) so try avoiding anything else for a week except the pellets, the grit (try giving it mixed with their pellets about a spoonful per hen in the feed) and a few spinach leaves.

 

Maybe you could not let them out until they have eaten a good amount of their pellets. Also if you have not wormed them with Flubenvet recently. they might need it as this is the main season where they can reinfect themselves within a month. When you worm them you really do need to avoid treats and free ranging until they have eaten all their pellets so they get the proper dose so it might be a good time to try this.

[Chino4]

Thanks for that comprehensive reply. We'll see how it goes.