What is Grit for Chickens?

What is Grit for Chickens?
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | September 26, 2023
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Did you know that chickens eat stones? That’s essentially what chicken grit it. Chicken’s need grit in their diet to aid digestion of other foods. Ensuring that your homestead flock has access to sufficient grit is essential for helping them maintain a healthy digestive system. Supplemental grit can be sourced naturally or supplied as a free-choice supplement. We will go over the important roles that grit plays in your homestead flock’s diet as well as some ways you can make sure your chickens are getting the grit they need!

What is Chicken Grit?

Chicken grit, sometimes called poultry grit, are tiny bits of coarse stone or gravel. These small stones aid the digestion system of a chicken. Chickens (like all birds) don’t have teeth. When they consume food, it is softened by the salvia in the mouth, pushed down the throat by the tongue, and then stored in the crop.

Chickens cannot chew their food. That means the food is entering the digestion system mostly in a whole state. Chickens will naturally seek out small pieces of coarse grit to consume. The grit pieces are then stored in two general areas… the chicken’s crop and the chicken’s gizzard. Small pieces of grit that are retained in the crop start the breaking down process of the food while it is being stored prior to being passed on to the stomach and gizzard.

The stomach and gizzard work together to break down the food so nutrients can be absorbed once the food enters the intestines. The stomach adds digestive enzymes to the food to help break it down, while the gizzard takes care of the main grinding of the food.

The gizzard is a tough, rubber-like muscle that is flexible enough to accommodate large volumes of food but strong enough to break down the food. Soft foods can easily be processed by the gizzard alone without the aid of grit.

However, since chickens are omnivores and scavengers, they ultimately consume foods that are too tough for the gizzard to break down by itself. That’s where grit comes into play. Large pieces of grit are passed through the digestive system until they reach the gizzard, where they cannot be broken down. Since they cannot be broken down, they remain in the gizzard and help grind up other tough foods.

Grit vs Chicken Feed vs Oyster Shells

Grit is different from chicken feed and calcium supplements, such as crushed oyster shells. It does not supply any nutritional value to the diet. Which means supplemental grit will not cause dietary imbalances. Grit is strictly used for aiding the digestive system.

Chicken feed on the other hand, should supply your flock with all the nutrients they need for survival. If the chicken feed is in mash or whole grain form, grit aids in breaking down the whole grains and seeds contained in the feed.

Commercial chicken feed pellets or crumbles do not necessitate grit in order to be digested. These forms of feed have been processed enough that a chicken’s digestive system can easily break down the pellets or crumbles without the aid of grit.

For laying hens, another element of their diet must be considered: calcium supplements. Calcium supplements for laying hens are commonly sold in the form of crushed oyster shells. Crushed oyster shells do not function as grit for chickens. While they may seem like they are tough, coarse, and could function as grit, the oyster shells are actually soluble and will be slowly broken down once they are exposed to the digestive enzymes and grinding of the gizzard.

However, the fact that crushed oyster shells are soluble is the reason why they can supply supplemental calcium to a laying hen’s diet. Calcium supplements and grit supplements should both be supplied to laying hens. Mixing supplemental calcium with grit is fine as long as you are only offering it to hens who have reached laying age.

Do Chickens Need Grit?

Most chickens need supplemental grit. However, there are a few situations in which chickens would not need supplemental grit or the chickens can source the grit naturally for themselves.

Chickens who are kept confined and only fed chicken feed pellets or crumbles usually do not need grit. They are not consuming any foods that the gizzard can’t break down naturally. However, if you give your confined flock whole grain feed, scratch grains, or any table scraps, they will need supplemental grit to digest the varying foods.

Free-range chickens generally do not need supplemental grit. They will naturally forage for grit while they are free-ranging. Free-range flocks with access to the woods, a gravel driveway, or any varied environment where they can find their own course gravel to consume will not need supplemental grit. If you are concerned that your free-range flock doesn’t have access to sufficient grit, you can always provide supplemental grit just in case.

However, chickens only raised on pasture may need to be proved with supplemental grit. Pasture-raised chickens will mostly be foraging on greens and won’t have access to a varied foraging environment. The dirt that they are exposed to isn’t coarse enough to function as grit and will just pass right through the digestive system.

Ensuring that your flock has access to natural or supplemental grit is essential for their health. Here are the benefits that grit provides for chickens:

Benefits of Grit

• Aids the Gizzard– The gizzard muscles and grit help break down food into a digestible mush.
• Nutrient Absorption- Food that has been sufficiently broken down makes the nutrients in the food more readily available for digestion.
• Prevents Digestive Issues– When grit is present in the crop and gizzard, it will help break down fiberous foods and prevent issues such as sour crop, impacted crop, and impacted gizzard.
• Prevents Fermentation– Food that is not broken down properly will remain in the crop or gizzard and ferment, which can cause digestive upset and blockages. Grit helps prepare food to be moved on through the digestive system.

How to Provide Grit for Chickens

There are three main sources of grit for chickens…

• Natural Sources– Grit that is naturally found in the environment, like coarse bits of stone and gravel.
• Insoluble Grit– Insoluble grit is grit that will not dissolve in the digestive system. It is usually sold as coarse bits of granite, flint, or quartz (these stones can sometimes be naturally sourced too).
• Soluble Grit– Soluble grit usually refers to crushed oyster shells, which are a calcium supplement and not technically grit. Soluble grit is able to dissolve in the digestive system, rendering it inefficient for aiding digestion.

If your flock free-ranges in a varied environment, you will probably not need to to supply supplemental grit. However, if your flock does not have access to natural sources of coarse grit, you will need to provide them with supplemental grit.

Adult chickens should be supplied with a free-choice supplement of poultry grit, sometimes sold as layer grit. You can put the grit in a free-choice supplement dispenser and offer it alongside of your flock’s daily feed. I like to use stainless steel rabbit feeders as supplement dispensers.

Always offer the grit supplement free-choice and separate from feed or treats and snacks. The chickens will consume the grit as needed. Refill the grit supplement as necessary. Grit will naturally stay in the digestive system for a long time, however, it does wear down as it aids with breaking down foods. That’s when chickens need a source to replenish their digestive grit.

Types of Grit for Chickens

Different grades of grit are needed for different ages of chickens. Small chicks will need smaller pieces of grit than adult chickens. As a chick grows, the need for larger grit pieces will be imperative in order for the grit to do its job in the gizzard without being passed through the digestive system.

Here is a guide to grit sizes for chickens:

• Chick Grit– This is the smallest grade of grit and is suitable for chicks up to 3 weeks of age.
• Grower Grit– Grower grit is slightly coarser than chick grit. It can be offered to chickens up to 2 months of age. Then switch to a poultry grit that is not mixed with any calcium supplements. Growing chickens don’t need supplemental calcium and too much calcium at a young age can cause kidney damage.
• Poultry Grit– Poultry grit is insoluble grit that is the largest and coarsest grade of grit. It can be fed to chickens over 2 months of age.
• Layer Grit– Sometimes poultry grit is mixed with a calcium supplement, like crushed oyster shells. It is then sold as layer grit since only laying hens need both supplemental calcium and grit.

If you want to source your own grit for your flock, look for coarse bits of granite gravel. The gravel needs to be small enough for a chicken to swallow but large enough to remain in the digestive system. Fine sand or dirt will just pass through the digestive system and not function as grit.

Will Chickens Eat Too Much Grit?

Chickens will generally not overconsume grit. The only time when grit can become dangerous is if sand, dirt, and other grit particles get stuck to treats and snacks that the chickens are eating. That can cause them to accidentally consume too much grit. Too much fine grit or sand can lead to crop impaction.

Keeping the grit in a separate supplement dispenser and using the right grade grit can help prevent overconsumption of grit.

Do Chicks Need Grit?

Chicks do not need grit if they are only fed chick starter crumbles. The chick starter crumbles are processed and soft enough to be easily digested. Chicks will need access to supplemental grit if you give them any snacks, treats, or supplements other than their feed. The grit will be needed to help the chicks’ digestive system break down the new foods.

If you give your chicks access to the natural environment outdoors, they will pick up small pieces of dirt that function as grit. Chicks with access to the natural environment do not need supplemental grit.

A great way to give your chicks access to natural grit when they are in the brooder is to place a clean weed, grass, or herb clump in their brooder. The clump should still have the roots attached that will provide small pieces of dirt for the chicks to consume as grit. Offer this ‘grit source’ whenever you are giving your chicks new foods other than their chick starter feed.

If you don’t want to bother with a natural grit source, you can buy commercial chick grit instead. Chick grit is small enough for chicks to consume and is sufficient for chicks up to 3 weeks of age. Offer the grit at the same time you offer any treats or snacks.

Always offer grit free-choice and separate from the chick feed or treats/snacks.

Fun Fact! – Chicks started on a whole grain chick starter feed will have stronger gizzards. This is because the gizzard muscle develops more for breaking down the grains compared to processed chick start crumbles.

Grit for the Homestead Flock!

Supplemental grit is an important part of the homestead flock’s diet. Grit is needed to help chickens digest tough foods, like whole grains and seeds. Chicks need grit to digest any food different from their chick starter feed. Your flock can naturally source grit from their environment if they are allowed to forage in a varied environment (gravel driveway, woods). If your homestead flock needs to be confined, you should supply supplemental grit in a supplement dispenser separate from their feed. Keeping your homestead flock healthy and productive means making sure they get the proper dietary elements they need… which includes grit!

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