Grit in chicken feed?

[FromAnotherCity]

Hi all, I'm brand new to the forum but have had chickens for a few years and have found wonderful advice on this website in the past.

My question is regarding the chicken feed that I buy from a local shop. I never noticed it before, but I recently moved the feeders from the ground to a table and now that they're on a hard surface, it looks like there is grit in the feed. I buy Scratch & Peck Layer Feed, which is pretty expensive, so it feels a little odd for them to put rocks in it. I suppose it could be very hard oyster shells, but that's not in the ingredient list. Either way, my girls just pick it out whatever it is. Any thoughts?

Thank you!

P.s. if the picture isn't clear enough, I can get a better shot.

 

[nuthatched]

Could be grit.
Scratch n peck is a bougie feed but imo not worth the hype.

 

[cluck queen]

It's cheaper to buy layer feed and add corn and black sunflower seeds.

 

[nuthatched]

It's cheaper to buy layer feed and add corn and black sunflower seeds.

I'd actually skip both the corn and boss but definitely easier, better and cheaper to buy a different feed.

 

[Huntmaster]

It's cheaper to buy layer feed and add corn and black sunflower seeds.

Layer feed is usually lower in protein and corn and boss lowers even more.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Weird... it does look like rock of some sort, but hard to tell. Have you tried contacting S&P?

 

[saysfaa]

The directions on the Scratch and Peck website say to offer grit and oyster shell when feeding their Layer feeds. And that it has calcium in it but the option of more is good. It doesn't say the same for grit or have it on the label so it looks like it should not be grit.

You could try soaking a little of it in water or water with some vinegar or lemon juice and see what happens. Calcium will dissolve, grain will swell, grit will not do anything.

 

[K0k0shka]

You could try soaking a little of it in water or water with some vinegar or lemon juice and see what happens. Calcium will dissolve, grain will swell, grit will not do anything.

Very good advice

Feed should never have grit mixed with it. Scratch & Peck is a big and well known brand, they should know better than to add grit in the feed. So it's probably something else. It's too black to be grit, at least the type usually sold as poultry grit - crushed granite, which is more reddish-brown in color.

The blackness of it makes me think sunflower seed, or the shells. There is this thing we used to add to the cows' menu back when I was growing up and we had a farm. I don't know what it's called. It was a byproduct of the sunflower oil industry, just the black shells of the seeds pressed together into this hard rock-like substance and then used in animal feed. We'd soak it in boiling water until it softens, then mix it with grain, chopped apples and other stuff for a sloppy feed that the cows absolutely loved. So maybe it's something like that?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Very good advice

Feed should never have grit mixed with it. Scratch & Peck is a big and well known brand, they should know better than to add grit in the feed. So it's probably something else. It's too black to be grit, at least the type usually sold as poultry grit - crushed granite, which is more reddish-brown in color.

The blackness of it makes me think sunflower seed, or the shells. There is this thing we used to add to the cows' menu back when I was growing up and we had a farm. I don't know what it's called. It was a byproduct of the sunflower oil industry, just the black shells of the seeds pressed together into this hard rock-like substance and then used in animal feed. We'd soak it in boiling water until it softens, then mix it with grain, chopped apples and other stuff for a sloppy feed that the cows absolutely loved. So maybe it's something like that?

Good point. I double checked my S&P feed and I do see a few small black pieces in it. I fished a couple out. While it's hard it doesn't feel like granite. For the sake of science I have a dry piece soaking in water for comparison, and a piece soaking in vinegar right now and I'll report back if that does anything.

My birds do eat them though, 100%. I've never noticed the particles (I figured it was some sort of vitamin nugget or something) because they eat them. I do ferment the feed which might make a difference, if it's like what you're describing with the pressed sunflower shells maybe fermenting/soaking is making it palatable for them.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Oh - I almost forgot to report back. So I'm not terribly surprised but the black bits didn't dissolve in vinegar nor did they swell with water. So I'm still not sure what they are, I guess I'd just assumed they were one of the many vitamin or mineral supplements added to the feed.