Why Should You Give Your Chickens Calcium Shell Grit?

19 October 2020
 Categories: , Blog

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Healthy chickens need help with their diet. You may need to supplement their feed with products that give them a boost. For example, they might need an extra mix of calcium shell grit. Why is this a good idea?

Help Your Chickens Process Food

Chickens don't have teeth. So, they can't naturally break down the food they eat. If food goes straight to their stomachs without being broken down, then your birds might get sick.

Chickens naturally look for gritty substances when they forage for food. The grit sticks in their crop for a while. The hard surfaces then break down food as they eat it. So, if you supply grit for your bird to eat when they need it, then they'll stay healthy and in better shape.

Give Your Chickens a Calcium Boost

If your chickens don't get enough calcium in their diet, then they may develop health problems. Calcium helps build healthy bones.

If chickens are calcium deficient, then they might have developmental problems and their legs might break too easily. They also use up calcium when they lay, so keeping their levels up can be a problem.

If you put out a calcium shell grit, either in your feed or in a separate feeder, then your chickens will eat the grit. They know when they need a boost so they'll manage their supplement intake themselves.

The calcium in the mix is absorbable. So, when the grit has done its initial job in the crop to help with feeding, it moves to the stomach where it breaks down. When this happens, it releases useful calcium into the bird's system. This helps keep your chickens' bones healthy and strong.

Get a Better Egg Yield

Calcium levels don't just affect the health of your chickens, they also affects the eggs your chickens lay. Chickens need a certain amount of calcium in their system to produce good-quality eggs.

If your chickens are low in calcium, then you'll see this in the eggs they lay. The eggs may have soft or deformed shells. Your yield may be lower than you expected for the number of chickens you keep.

If you use a calcium shell grit, then your chickens get a calcium boost. They produce enough calcium to create stronger and smoother eggs. Your yield may go up and the eggs you do produce will be better quality.

It's important to choose the right grade and type of calcium shell grit for your birds. To get advice on which product to use and how to use it, contact calcium carbonate products suppliers.