If you keep chickens in a garden or back yard then you might need to provide your chicken’s with grit and/or oyster shell depending on their normal feed and whether or not they free-range.
On this page I’ll show you the products we recommend and when you would need to buy them for your flock.
Before I start, I just need to let you know that at Pentagon Pets, we only recommend the best quality products which in many cases we’ve tried and tested. This page contains links to a product which is available via affiliate partners (Omlet & Amazon) – for full information you can read our privacy policy here.
Grit for chickens
Chickens eat small pieces of sharp grit which help to grind up their food within an organ called the gizzard.
Some free-range chickens will get all the grit they need when they graze, but if chickens don’t free-range or they only graze on grass they will need a grit supplement alongside their usual feed.
We recommend Omlet Mixed Chicken Grit which contains both grit made from flint which is the best type of grit for chickens, along with oyster shell (see below for more info about the benefits of oyster shell). Click the link below to check the current grit price at Omlet.
shop mixed chicken grit directly from OmletGrit for chicks
Chicks also need grit in their diet from an early age, but they need smaller grade grit which they can easily swallow. You can buy small-grade flint grit for chicks directly from amazon here.
Oyster shell for chickens
Oyster shell is a supplement which is rich in calcium which is good for chickens who don’t have layers pellets as their normal feed or are showing sign of a calcium deficiency.
The grit above also contains oyster shell and is our recommended product as a grit/oyster shell mix, but you can also buy oyster shell separately too.
We recommend Small Pet Select Oyster Shell which you can buy directly from Amazon, this shell comes in high-quality flakes which are easy for chickens to ingest.
Chicken grit feeder
If you need to provide chicken grit and/or oyster shell to your chickens, it’s good to have a permanent grit feeder within the chicken run.
We like the Grit Station Feeder which is available from Omlet (see image). This feeder keeps the contents covered while allowing chickens easy access to the contents and is sturdy enough that it doesn’t get knocked over. Click the like below to shop grit feeders directly from Omlet:
Shop for the Grit Station Feeder here
Do your chickens need grit and/or oyster shell?
If you’re still not sure if your chickens need grit and or oyster shell in their diet, the following article will help you to find out more about this topic:
Do chickens need grit and oyster shells and whats the difference