jameslcfc Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Hi guys im new to the site and to chicken keeping. I am waiting for my coop to arrive tomorrow and getting 3/4 silkies at the weekend. I have read loads of books and thought I had a good understanding until just. I have just purchased a 2.5l galvanised feeder and in the write up it says dont mix grit with the feed. I have red you can put it in with feed and am now unsure what to do. I have also read that with certain pellets you dont need grit. I have bought pellets and some oyster shell so am not sure whats right and wrong. I also purchased a 1.5l chick feeder and if I cant mix the 2 can the chick feeder be used for the shell. I picked up the wrong feeder initially. Please can you help me. Thankyou P.s think I posted this in the wrong section earlier sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Personally mine have a good quality layers pellet and have mixed grit and oyster shell in a separate pot which they can help themselves to, and they do. I know I have seen posts where people mix it with their food though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 it's best to keep the grit in a separate container that way the birds don't eat extra calcium in the mixed grit that they don't need as to much calcium can be as bad as not enough as said good quality feed already contains the grit and calcium that they need the trouble with a lot of books is that the information in them was written before the modern feeds were made and is just copied from one publication to another by non poultry keepers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I keep mine separate, but at shoulder height. They love to dig around in it. How big is your oyster shell? Silkies are only little, I find that mine eat very small amounts and prefer grit, as you can get it in smaller bits. Unless you have large fowl silkies, then I am very jealous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Tie the chick feeder to the side of the coop with cable ties. That's what I do. Works really well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameslcfc Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 Thanks for the replies. I will keep a seperate feeder for the grit and oyster shell. I pick the silkies up tomorrow I have just purchased a load of wood and chicken wire to make a bigger run seeing as the coop i purchased seems tiny. Its supposed to be fine for up to 6 small birds. I wouldnt like to be that confined so im making it big Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nannyhenny Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I found my hens ignored grit in a separate container so I now throw it around on the ground in their run so they can pick it up as they scratch if they want to as they would in the wild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 That's what I do too nanny hen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameslcfc Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 They seem to find the grit easily enough and have today sprinkled some around the run for them to dig for. I like the idea of them finding there own stuff and work for it like in the wild Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
