There are certain things that every living creature requires in order to live and thrive. We all need food for energy, activity to build muscle, and water for hydration among other things. When one or more of these items is lower than required, or nonexistent, it can have a major impact on whether we will make it or not. Water and grit are two absolute essentials for our chickens.
How Important Is Water For Chickens?
Water is an essential nutrient that we oftentimes take for granted (at least until we’re really thirsty). Remember that water makes up around 70% of a chicken’s bodyweight and if a chicken is forced to go without water for any length of time, even if it’s just a few hours, it can have drastic consequences for both you and your chickens.
You may encounter a reduction in the chicken’s egg production and they could suffer dehydration, which includes diarrhea, lethargy and other symptoms. If dehydration is not attended to right away it can quickly lead to seizures and even death. Many in the chicken community would agree that buying a large water feeder that can automatically disperse water as needed is definitely a good investment and the only way to go.
Water for your chickens serves more purposes than just simple hydration. Water allows a chicken’s metabolism to function properly and it also aids in things such as regulating the temperature of its body and making sure that everything is getting digested properly. It’s crucial that chickens have access to fresh and clean water at all times. This is especially true when temperatures outside are exceptionally hot, anything over 90° F, as heat will cause chickens heat stress, at which point they will need to drink 3-4x more water than usual.
Now that it’s crystal clear just how essential water is for a chicken’s health, let’s move on to another aspect of a chicken’s eating habits and diet that is almost just as necessary – grit.
What Exactly is Grit?
Grit is a mixture of minerals and stones which have been ground up specifically for your chickens to consume. It could include things like sand, granite, and limestone and depending on what is mixed in it, it could be digestible (soluble) or not digestible (insoluble). There are even some mixtures that are blended with ingredients that are specifically aimed at improving egg production in your hens.
When deciding on which grit to get for your chickens make sure to always buy from a reputable manufacturer. There have been cases with some brands that involved recalls for metal contamination, which is obviously not good for chickens. You should take special care to read all ingredients in the grit mix to ensure that it’s what you’re looking for when concerning your chickens specifically. You should also take care to make sure it’s the correct size for your chickens.
No matter which grit you get just know that it’s all going to do pretty much the same thing for your chicken, which is help with the digestion of its food. Also, a little goes a long way when it comes to chicken grit. One small bag of insoluble grit, if distributed properly around your chicken’s run, can potentially last an entire year. You can find grit at pretty much any farm store, or even online, and it’s fairly inexpensive! Some chicken tenders choose to make their own chicken grit at home. With the proper tools you can even make grit from eggshells, which would also be a good source of calcium.
All you would need to do is wash and dry any used eggshells and then use a blender or food processor to crush them up into tiny pieces. It’s not only a thrifty solution that lessens food waste, but super easy, too! If you find yourself with soggy shells you may want to consider throwing them in the oven for about 5-10 minutes at 300-350°F, but make sure to keep a close eye on them so that you don’t burn them
Why Is Grit Necessary?
Ok, so you get that grit is just a bunch of crushed up rocks, but why is that necessary for your chicken?
When observing a chicken the first thing you may zoom in on is their beak, which is lacking in teeth. Having no teeth means that a chicken will have a difficult time masticating (or chewing) its food. Although it does try to peck at it with its beak to break down larger bits, it’s usually mostly futile, so when it swallows something it’s pretty much swallowed whole. The grit, which when consumed by the chicken gets stored in the crop and gizzard, is essentially the tool your chicken will use internally to grind up its food and prepare it for digestion.
The gizzard is the muscle that grinds food for the chicken before sending it to the small intestine that will extract any and all nutrients before it’s eventually deposited out. The crop and gizzard work in tandem with grit to optimize nutrient extraction and make the food as small as possible to make the passing of droppings as easy as can be for your chicken. Who knew the digestive system of a chicken could be so fascinating!?
If an object or food item is not broken down into small enough pieces it can wreak havoc on your bird’s intestinal tract and overall digestive system, and that’s if it’s passed. If it’s too big it won’t even make it that far and it will cause a blockage or gizzard impaction. This will cause huge discomfort and pain for your chicken. If your bird is unable to get it out or clear up the blockage naturally it could require costly surgery and, in extreme situations, has even been known to cause death in chickens.
Types Of Grit
1. Natural Grit
This includes small rocks and sticks that are unearthed when your chickens are foraging in the ground and dirt.
2. Chick Grit
Specially ground materials for baby chicks and generally includes small flakes of granite. This finer grit helps to give your baby chick’s gizzard a good head start.
3. Granite Grite
This is the most common grit used for backyard chickens. It’s a one-and-done solution for your adult chicken’s grit needs.
4. Oyster Shell Grit
This is a soluble (digestible) calcium-rich grit that helps to produce eggs with stronger shells so they’re not easily breakable. It’s unlike granite grit since it will eventually break down and pass like food, but it still helps the gizzard to grind food up for easier digestion.
5. Mixed Grit
You can find a mix of granite and oyster shell grit, and this is recommended if your primary goal of raising chickens is to benefit from your hen’s egg production. Broken eggs don’t make good money.
6. Grit with Probiotics
This is a relatively new product on the market as some companies have been adding extra probiotics to their oyster shells before grinding them. Probiotics are also good for a chicken’s digestive system as they will help to support healthy gut bacteria. These do cost a little more than the other grits mentioned, but when considering the overall health benefits, and depending on your chicken’s purposes, it may be the best option.
When Should I Give My Chickens Grit?
Grit should be a constant item that is readily available around the run at all times for your chickens. Will they be able to find their own “grit” around the yard? Yes, but you can’t always depend on them to find natural grit, like the perfect size pebble or stick, when they need it. You don’t want your chicken to go without grit when they really need it, like when they’ve just swallowed a large item that they’re going to have trouble digesting.
For Chicks
Chicks can, and should, begin using grit as early as 2 weeks of age. As soon as your chicks are starting to forage a bit and eat other things than just their chick starter feed, it’s time to introduce them to grit. Make sure to start them with “chick grit”, though, as this will have a finer texture and make it easier for them to consume. Chick grit is also known to stimulate the gizzard and encourage better overall digestive health.
Where To Place Grit
Make sure that your chicken’s grit is spread out around your yard at all times or even just in a bowl next to their feed. Having easily accessible grit is especially crucial during the summer when it’s hot outside. Chickens tend to eat a bit less in extreme heat, which means that their nutrients, especially calcium, will dip. You don’t have to worry that they’ll consume too much grit as they will only eat it as necessary, and as mentioned before, it should last a long while once it’s been dispersed throughout the run.
Grit should be a constant item that is readily available around the run at all times for your chickens. Will they be able to find their own “grit” around the yard? Yes, but you can’t always depend on them to find natural grit, like the perfect size pebble or stick, when they need it. You don’t want your chicken to go without grit when they really need it, like when they’ve just swallowed a large item that they’re going to have trouble digesting.
Chicks can, and should, begin using grit as early as 2 weeks of age. As soon as your chicks are starting to forage a bit and eat other things than just their chick starter feed, it’s time to introduce them to grit. Make sure to start them with “chick grit”, though, as this will have a finer texture and make it easier for them to consume. Chick grit is also known to stimulate the gizzard and encourage better overall digestive health.
Make sure that your chicken’s grit is spread out around your yard at all times or even just in a bowl next to their feed. Having easily accessible grit is especially crucial during the summer when it’s hot outside. Chickens tend to eat a bit less in extreme heat, which means that their nutrients, especially calcium, will dip. You don’t have to worry that they’ll consume too much grit as they will only eat it as necessary, and as mentioned before, it should last a long while once it’s been dispersed throughout the run.
As you can see water and grit for chickens are essential to make sure that their gizzards, and overall digestive system, function properly. Any disturbance to their digestive system can be detrimental to their health, and even lethal. While grit won’t prevent other digestive issues, like impacted crops and intestinal worms, it’s definitely a good place to start. Water and grit for chickens is definitely nothing to cluck at!