Grit is an integral part of the chicken diet. If your bird does not get enough grit in its diet, then it won’t be able to digest food properly.
With so many grit options available, you may be wondering which is best for your bird, this article looks at giving limestone grit to chickens
Limestone cannot be used as chicken grit, other options that you can use as chicken grit include sand, granite, or flint
Table of Contents
Limestone grit for chickens:
Humans and chickens differ greatly, chickens can survive on a diet of pellets, treats, water, fruits, vegetables, cereals, and grains, humans cannot.
Chickens are able to eat these foods because their bodies can digest them, thanks to grit. In order to figure out if limestone can be used as chicken grit, we must first know why chickens need grit.
Do chickens need grit?
Yes, chickens need grit. Chickens have beaks but no teeth, yet, they are still able to swallow foods that humans can’t without chewing. They are also able to digest and absorb food. This is possible through grit.
Once a chicken swallows food, the food moves through the bird’s digestive system until it reaches the gizzard.
The gizzard is a muscle that works with grit, to crush and digest food into tiny particles that the bird’s body can absorb.
As the gizzard contracts, it breaks down food, the grit that is in the bird’s stomach also helps to break down food.
There are a variety of grit options that you can feed your chicken, but limestone isn’t one of them.
Limestone grit for chickens:
Limestone is commonly used as a calcium supplement for chickens rather than grit. It is soluble, meaning that it is broken down by the bird’s body during digestion, its ability to be broken down is why it is used as a calcium supplement rather than a grit that helps with digestion.
Because it gets broken down in the bird’s body, it doesn’t last long enough in the bird to be able to digest foods.
If you give birds limestone as grit, then the bird won’t be able to digest food properly. This type of stone will be digested just as oyster shell is, both are given as a calcium supplement because they can be broken down.
During digestion, the bird’s body works to break down these rocks in order to extract the calcium from the rock and absorb it.
Insoluble grit is grit that maintains its shape and doesn’t get broken down during bird digestion, insoluble grit can be given to birds to help them digest foods.
That being said, insoluble grit isn’t impenetrable, it will be worn down in the bird’s gizzard over time, but this will take quite a long time. It works to digest foods in the gizzard while it’s still rough.
After being worn down, it will pass through the bird’s body and the bird will eat more grit as it sees fit.
Can chickens eat sand as grit?
Yes, chickens can definitely eat sand as grit. Sand is an insoluble grit and it will stay in your chicken’s body, without being worn down, for quite some time. However, the type of sand that you use as chicken grit can either help your bird or harm your bird.
The sand that you give your bird must not be too fine, it should have a medium to coarse consistency.
If the sand is too fine, then the powder can get into the bird’s lungs and cause respiratory issues. In addition, if it is too fine then it won’t break up much of anything during digestion, in fact, it will simply pass through the bird.
A medium to coarse sand will be able to break up foods in the gizzard and it won’t be inhaled by the bird. Washed sand is even better, water is passed over this sand to remove any dust particles on the sand.
You can visit your local gravel business to find this type of sand. Your local big box store will usually have sand that is too fine to be used as chicken grit
Conclusion:
In conclusion, no, limestone cannot be used as grit for chickens, this stone is used as a calcium supplement for chickens as the chicken’s body will break it down during digestion.
Coarse sand is a better option when looking for grit for your birds.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Chicken Vomiting Water, Egg Peritonitis Natural Treatment, Can You Use Sand For Chicken Grit?, Chicken Grit Option: Sand,