We didn't know that the chickens need grit along with food at first. They were with us for over a month with out any. We got grit from a small feed store near us. Nathan attached an empty tuna can to the tractor and we put the grit in there. Our chickens emptied it in two days. Two days later they emptied a second can. Cans three and four each only lasted one day. The picture below is can number five. We put it out this morning and it is already half gone. We are starting to think they are eating it for fun. We don't want to take the grit away because we don't know how much they actually need.
We have a plan. We attached this pie tin to a block of wood to make a feeder. (The block will hopefully keep it from being tipped over.) Today we filled it with the outside leaves of lettuce that we didn't want to eat. Our plan is to give them something other than the grit to focus on. Hope it works. We are about out of grit.
Grit is what chickens use for teeth. If you are letting them range free or feeding them anything other than prepared mash they need grit. I use masons sand. A 50 lb bag from Lowe's or some such place is not too expensive. They should have unlimited access. If they are going through it too fast it is because they are playing in in or using it for dust baths. Put in something with a narrower opening that is up off the ground a bit. They will peck at it as needed but wont use like the pool. Just remember, they need it like you need your teeth. Make sure they have access to something.
ReplyDeleteI won't limit their access. They seem to be consuming all of the grit. They even snap up the bits that spill. The way we have the tuna can against the side of the tractor they can only get their heads and beaks into it. Feet and bodies don't fit because of the angled side. It is attached with screws so it isn't going any where. I will look into a big bag of mason sand. I'm not happy with the other feeder I made. They don't tip it over but they do walk and poop in it making a mess. I think I will get something long and narrow that I can attach to the slide like the girt can. Either that or I will need to hang something up like I have for their main feed.
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