Are you new to raising chickens and wondering about this mysterious thing called “chicken grit”? Maybe you’ve heard other chicken keepers mention it, or seen it at your local feed store, but aren’t sure if your flock actually needs it Well, you’re in the right place! Today I’m gonna break down everything you need to know about chicken grit in simple terms
What is Chicken Grit, Anyway?
Chicken grit also known as poultry grit is basically small bits of coarse stone or gravel that chickens consume to aid digestion. Chickens swallow their food whole or in bite size pieces, and without teeth, that food needs to be broken down by something else within the digestive system.
Yep, you read that right – chickens eat rocks on purpose! But don’t worry, it’s completely natural and essential for their health.
How Chicken Digestion Works (And Why Grit Matters)
To understand why grit is so important, we gotta first understand how chickens digest their food. It’s actually pretty fascinating!
Chickens don’t have teeth, which means they can’t chew their food like we do. Instead, their digestive system works like this:
- They swallow food whole or in large pieces
- The food travels down the esophagus into the crop (a storage pouch)
- From the crop, food moves to the gizzard
- The gizzard is where the magic happens!
The gizzard is a super muscular part of a chicken’s stomach that acts like their “teeth.” It has extremely strong muscles that contract to grind up food But muscles alone can’t grind hard foods – and that’s where grit comes in!
The small stones and rocks that chickens eat stay in the gizzard, where they help grind food into a digestible paste. Think of grit as nature’s food processor for chickens!
Types of Chicken Grit
There are actually two main types of “grit” that chickens might need:
1. Insoluble Grit
- Made from crushed granite or flint
- Doesn’t dissolve in the digestive system
- Stays in the gizzard to help grind food
- The “true” grit needed for digestion
2. Soluble Grit (Oyster Shell)
- Made from crushed oyster shells or other seashells
- Dissolves in the digestive system
- Provides calcium for egg shells and bone health
- Not actually used for grinding food
- Sometimes incorrectly called “grit”
Important note: Oyster shell is NOT a replacement for insoluble grit! They serve different purposes. Oyster shell is a calcium supplement, while insoluble grit is for digestion.
Do My Chickens Actually Need Grit?
This is where things get interesting! Whether your chickens need supplemental grit depends on how you raise them.
Chickens Need Grit If:
- They eat anything besides commercial chicken feed
- They consume treats, kitchen scraps, or garden waste
- They eat bugs, worms, or plant material
- They’re confined to a coop and run without access to natural grit sources
Chickens Might Not Need Grit If:
- They ONLY eat commercial chicken feed (pellets or crumble)
- They free range regularly on soil with natural small stones
- They have access to natural sources of small rocks and pebbles
Commercial chicken feed is formulated to break down easily without much grinding needed. But anything else – from bugs to vegetable scraps – requires grit to be properly digested.
Free-ranging chickens will usually find enough natural grit while foraging. They instinctively pick up small stones and pebbles. But confined chickens or those with limited access to the outdoors will definitely need grit provided for them.
What Happens When Chickens Don’t Get Enough Grit?
Without adequate grit, chickens can develop some serious digestive problems:
- Impacted crop – food gets stuck and can’t move through the digestive system
- Sour crop – food sits too long in the crop and begins to ferment
- Poor nutrient absorption – food isn’t broken down properly
- Malnutrition – even with plenty of food, they can’t extract nutrients properly
- Potential death – in severe cases, impaction can be fatal
These aren’t fun problems to deal with, and they’re completely preventable by ensuring your chickens have access to grit!
How to Feed Grit to Your Chickens
Providing grit to your flock is super easy:
- Offer it free choice – Put it in a small container near their regular feed
- Let them self-regulate – Chickens know how much they need
- Never mix it with their feed – Always offer it separately
- Keep it available at all times – They’ll take what they need when they need it
I’ve been keeping chickens for years, and I just place a small dish of grit next to their regular feeder. They peck at it when they need it, and I refill it when it gets low. Simple as that!
Do Baby Chicks Need Grit?
This is a question I get all the time! The answer is: it depends.
- Chicks on starter feed only: No grit needed
- Chicks eating anything else: Yes, they need chick-sized grit
If your baby chicks are only eating commercial chick starter feed, they don’t technically need grit. The feed is designed to be easily digestible without grinding.
However, if you give your chicks any treats or let them peck at grass or other materials, then yes – they need chick grit! This is a smaller, finer version of adult chicken grit that’s appropriately sized for their tiny systems.
I personally don’t give my chicks anything but chick starter feed until they’re fully feathered (around 6-8 weeks), so I don’t worry about grit right away. But if you’re offering treats earlier, make sure to provide chick grit alongside!
What’s the Difference Between Chick Grit and Adult Chicken Grit?
The only real difference is the size! Chick grit is made of the same materials as adult grit, but the pieces are much smaller to accommodate their tiny gizzards. Using adult-sized grit for baby chicks could potentially cause impaction, so always make sure you’re using the right size for your birds’ age.
Homemade vs. Commercial Grit
While commercial grit is widely available and often includes beneficial additives like probiotics, some chicken keepers prefer more natural options:
Commercial Grit
- Consistent size and quality
- Often includes probiotics or other additives
- Readily available at feed stores
- Relatively inexpensive (a 50lb bag can last 40 chickens about a year!)
Natural/DIY Grit Options
- Small pebbles from a clean source
- Construction-grade sand (not playground sand)
- Crushed granite from landscape supply stores
I personally use commercial grit because it’s affordable and convenient, but many of my chicken-keeping friends just make sure their chickens have access to areas with small stones and pebbles.
FAQ About Chicken Grit
How much does grit cost?
Commercial grit is surprisingly affordable. A 25-50lb bag costs around $10-12 and can last a small flock for a year or more.
Do roosters need grit?
Yes! Roosters need insoluble grit for digestion just like hens do. They don’t need oyster shell (calcium supplement) since they don’t lay eggs.
Can chickens have too much grit?
Not really. Chickens are pretty good at self-regulating their grit intake. They’ll only eat what they need.
What if my chickens don’t seem to eat the grit I provide?
If your chickens are free ranging, they might be finding enough natural grit on their own. If they’re confined and not eating grit, try sprinkling a small amount on the ground – sometimes chickens are more interested in pecking it from the ground than from a dish.
Is grit the same as sand?
Not exactly. While construction-grade sand can function as grit in a pinch, proper poultry grit is usually made from crushed granite or flint, which is harder and lasts longer in the gizzard.
Conclusion
Chicken grit might seem like a small detail in the grand scheme of chicken keeping, but it plays a HUGE role in your flock’s digestive health. Without it, chickens can’t properly digest many foods, which can lead to serious health issues.
Luckily, providing grit is one of the easiest and most affordable aspects of chicken care. Whether you choose commercial grit or ensure your chickens have access to natural sources, making sure they have what they need to grind their food is essential for raising healthy, happy birds.
Happy chicken keeping!
What Is Chicken Grit Made Of?
Oyster shell grit is typically made from oyster shells, but you can also make your own grit by grinding up baked eggshells. Flint grit is made from flint or granite milled into very small pieces. Some grit is designed for chicks under the age of 8 weeks. If you have chicks, you will need to feed them this very fine substance until they reach 8 weeks.
Do Chickens Need Grit?
Chickens need grit because they do not have teeth to grind down their food. When left to forage over a larger area, chickens naturally pick up grit in the form of tiny pebbles. They store grit in the gizzard and when the gizzard moves, the food is ground with any grit inside. The food, now a paste, can then pass safely through the digestive tract. The gizzard grinds up the grit, and eventually the grit is small enough to pass through the digestive tract, which is why chickens need to replenish it. Without grit, chickens cannot effectively eat their food and in some cases can suffer from impaction.
Hens also require calcium-rich oyster shell grit to help them with developing strong eggs. Without this nutritional supplement, hens can develop brittle bones or sour crop, especially those who are good layers.
In most cases, backyard chicken owners limit their flock’s foraging to keep them safe from predators. Even with free-range chickens, a piece of land may not have enough of the right kind of small pebbles to help chickens with digestion. It’s a good idea to offer some grit to help a flock.