I totally agree on that apple seed thing. There is not enough poison in those seeds to phase them. There might be enough to kill a tiny insect eating the seeds.
Chickens do not need fresh grit every day. How long grit lasts in their gizzard depends on how hard the rock is and how big the piece is. Granite is very hard, it wears away very slowly. A piece of granite the size of a green pea might last a month. A softer rock or smaller piece goes away sooner. Mine get their grit from rocks in my soil but there is nothing wrong with offering grit by itself. If you buy grit you'll get granite as they sort the right size from granite quarries.
Can you describe their death? How did they act before they died? Were they lethargic and fluffed up or did they just fall over dead with no warning? I assume you checked the body for any wounds? There are a lot of different things that can cause a hen to die. The more you can tell us about that death the more likely we can help.
If you are in the United States, call your county extension office and see how you can get a necropsy. That's basically a chicken autopsy where they cut the chicken up to see if they can find the cause of death. Ask about cost. Often the cost is very little or even free but each state is different. Ask about how to submit the body. Usually they want it refrigerated or on ice but not frozen. And ask where to take the body. If another dies it may be worth it to you to take one in for analysis.
Chickens do not need fresh grit every day. How long grit lasts in their gizzard depends on how hard the rock is and how big the piece is. Granite is very hard, it wears away very slowly. A piece of granite the size of a green pea might last a month. A softer rock or smaller piece goes away sooner. Mine get their grit from rocks in my soil but there is nothing wrong with offering grit by itself. If you buy grit you'll get granite as they sort the right size from granite quarries.
Can you describe their death? How did they act before they died? Were they lethargic and fluffed up or did they just fall over dead with no warning? I assume you checked the body for any wounds? There are a lot of different things that can cause a hen to die. The more you can tell us about that death the more likely we can help.
If you are in the United States, call your county extension office and see how you can get a necropsy. That's basically a chicken autopsy where they cut the chicken up to see if they can find the cause of death. Ask about cost. Often the cost is very little or even free but each state is different. Ask about how to submit the body. Usually they want it refrigerated or on ice but not frozen. And ask where to take the body. If another dies it may be worth it to you to take one in for analysis.
