Grit & Oyster Shells: Essential to Your Chickens

Though both grit and oyster shell are essential for chickens, they serve distinct purposes and are not interchangeable. Here’s a breakdown of the unique roles each plays in your chickens’ health.

Grit

Purpose: Chickens don’t have teeth, so they rely on their gizzard to break down food.

How It Works:

• After food is swallowed, it passes into the crop, a storage compartment in the esophagus, where it can sit for up to 12 hours.
• From the crop, the food slowly moves to the gizzard, which functions as the digestive grinder.
• To aid this process, chickens consume grit—small pieces of rock and sand—which sit in the gizzard.
• As the gizzard muscles grind, the grit helps break the food into smaller, digestible particles.

Maintenance:

• As the grit wears down, it’s expelled, so chickens need a constant supply to maintain proper digestion.
• Without sufficient grit, chickens can experience digestive issues, such as nutritional deficiencies or intestinal blockages, which may require veterinary treatment.

Providing Grit:

• If you can’t let your chickens roam and forage for grit, you’ll need to provide it yourself.
• A separate grit dispenser allows chickens to eat as much or as little as they need.
• Be sure to choose the appropriate size grit—too small a size will pass through the chicken’s system without aiding digestion.

For Chicks:

• Chicks don’t require grit when they are fed a finely ground starter feed.
• Once they begin eating treats, oats, or fresh produce, you should provide them with chick grit.
• For chicks under 10 weeks old, use specially formulated, smaller grit to fit their developing gizzards.

Oyster Shell

Purpose: Oyster shell is a natural source of calcium carbonate, which is crucial for laying hens to produce strong eggshells.

How It Works:

• Chickens need more calcium than what’s typically found in layer feed, as they use calcium daily to form eggshells.
• A lack of calcium can cause hens to leach calcium from their bones, leading to weakened bones and deformities.
• Without adequate calcium, chickens may also lay soft-shelled or shell-less eggs.

Additional Benefits:

• Calcium helps with the muscle contractions in the hen’s oviduct that push eggs out.
• Insufficient calcium can lead to egg-binding, a serious condition where an egg gets stuck in the oviduct, potentially causing life-threatening complications if the egg breaks.

Providing Oyster Shell:

• Like grit, oyster shell should be provided on a free-choice basis, allowing hens to consume as much or as little as they need.
• This approach also saves money because non-laying chickens won’t consume the calcium.
• Overfeeding calcium can lead to kidney problems, so it’s important to monitor intake and only provide it to laying hens.

Conclusion

While both grit and oyster shell are vital for your chickens’ health, they serve different roles. Grit is essential for digestion, while oyster shell supports the formation of strong eggshells and overall bone health. Ensure you provide each in the right quantities and forms for your flock’s needs.

Source:

Oyster Shell vs. Grit
Oyster Shell vs. Chicken Grit – Welcome to The Hearty Hen House