6 Best Poultry Grit For Digestive Health That Old Farmers Swear By
Poultry grit is vital for digesting food. Discover the 6 best types, from insoluble granite to flint, that experienced farmers use for optimal flock health.
You’ve seen a chicken peck at the ground a thousand times, but it’s not always looking for worms or seeds. Often, it’s searching for tiny, sharp stones essential for its survival. Without these little rocks, a chicken’s entire digestive system grinds to a halt—quite literally.
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Why Your Flock Needs Grit for a Healthy Gizzard
Chickens don’t have teeth. Instead, they use a powerful muscular organ called the gizzard to grind up their food, and that gizzard needs tools to do its job. Insoluble grit—small, hard particles like granite or flint—acts as the "teeth" inside the gizzard, pulverizing tough grains, seeds, and fibrous greens.
Without access to grit, a bird can’t properly break down its food. This leads to poor nutrient absorption, weight loss, and even life-threatening conditions like an impacted crop. While birds that free-range on diverse terrain can often find their own grit, any flock in a coop, run, or on soft pasture absolutely requires you to provide it for them.
It’s crucial to understand the difference between insoluble grit for digestion and soluble grit like oyster shell. Insoluble grit stays in the gizzard for weeks or months, grinding away. Soluble grit dissolves in the digestive system to provide a direct source of calcium, which is vital for strong eggshells but useless for grinding food. Your flock needs both, but for different reasons.
Manna Pro Poultry Grit: The All-Purpose Classic
If you walk into any farm supply store, you’ll find a bag of Manna Pro Poultry Grit. There’s a good reason for its popularity: it’s a straightforward, no-fuss, crushed granite product that simply works. It’s the reliable standard that gets the job done without you having to overthink it.
This is pure insoluble grit, designed specifically for grinding. It doesn’t contain calcium, oyster shell, or any other additives, which is exactly what you want. You should be providing calcium separately so your birds can regulate their own intake.
The most important thing Manna Pro gets right is sizing. They offer a chick-sized grit, a grower formula for developing birds, and a larger size for adult layers. Using the wrong size is a common mistake; grit that’s too small is ineffective, while grit that’s too large can cause blockages in young birds. Manna Pro makes it easy to match the grit to your flock’s age.
Scratch and Peck Cluckin’ Good Grit for Chicks
Getting chicks started right is half the battle, and that includes their digestive health from day one. Their tiny gizzards need appropriately tiny "teeth." Scratch and Peck’s Cluckin’ Good Grit is sized specifically for baby birds, ensuring they can process their starter feed effectively without risk of impaction.
Made from crushed quartzite, this grit is incredibly hard and sharp, perfect for the job. You only need to offer a small dish of it to your brooder full of chicks. They instinctively know what to do with it and will peck at it as needed.
Providing grit this early helps their gizzards develop properly, setting them up for a lifetime of good digestion. It’s a small step that prevents bigger problems down the road. Once they graduate from the brooder and move to grower feed, you can switch them to a larger-sized grit.
Manna Pro Oyster Shell for Stronger Eggshells
Let’s be clear: oyster shell is not digestive grit. This is a common and dangerous point of confusion. Oyster shell is a soluble grit, meaning it dissolves in the bird’s system to provide a massive, slow-release boost of calcium.
A laying hen puts a tremendous amount of calcium into every single eggshell she forms. If she doesn’t get enough from her diet, her body will pull it from her own bones, leading to brittle bones and health problems. You’ll also see the results in the nesting box: thin, weak, or even soft-shelled eggs.
Manna Pro’s crushed oyster shell is the industry standard for preventing this. It should be offered in a separate dish, completely free-choice. Do not mix it into their feed. Your hens are smart enough to know when they need more calcium—usually in the afternoon or evening as they begin to form the next day’s egg—and will consume it as needed.
Ensure strong eggshells and healthy hens with Pecking Order Oyster Shell. This natural calcium supplement supports consistent egg production and promotes overall bone health in your flock.
Cherry Stone #2 Granite Grit for Adult Birds
For a truly tough, long-lasting grit, many old-timers stick with Cherry Stone. This stuff is pure crushed granite, and it’s exceptionally hard. It doesn’t wear down or pass through the gizzard quickly, meaning it stays in there doing its job for a long time.
The "#2" in the name refers to the size, which is ideal for full-grown, standard-sized chickens like Plymouth Rocks, Orpingtons, or Wyandottes. For bantams, you’d want to use their smaller #1 size. This attention to sizing is what makes it such a reliable choice for experienced keepers.
Because of its durability, you may find you don’t have to refill the grit hopper as often. It’s a simple, effective product that has been a staple in coops for generations for one reason: it’s a rock-solid performer.
Small Pet Select Grit: An Organic Grower’s Pick
For the farmer who manages their flock with an organic-first mindset, finding supplements that align with that philosophy is important. While rock itself can’t be certified organic, brands like Small Pet Select cater to owners who want assurance about sourcing and purity.
This grit is typically made from crushed quartz or granite and is marketed to those who prioritize non-GMO feeds and natural practices. The primary benefit here is peace of mind. You’re getting a clean, uncontaminated product from a company that understands the values of a holistic or organic system.
The main tradeoff is usually price and availability; you might have to order it online, and it often costs more than the standard bags at the local feed store. But for many, ensuring every input into their flock is as clean as possible is worth the extra effort and expense.
Mt. Baker Poultry Grit: A Natural Volcanic Choice
Not all grit is granite. Mt. Baker offers a grit made from crushed basalt, a type of volcanic rock. This provides a slightly different texture and composition that works just as effectively for grinding feed in the gizzard.
Some keepers prefer volcanic rock, believing its unique mineral profile offers trace benefits. While the primary job is mechanical grinding, the idea of providing a more mineral-rich stone is appealing. It’s a hard, angular grit that holds up well over time.
Ultimately, whether you choose granite or basalt comes down to personal preference and what’s available in your area. Mt. Baker is an excellent alternative to the more common granite grits and is a testament to the fact that as long as the rock is hard, insoluble, and correctly sized, it will do the job your chickens need it to do.
How to Properly Offer Grit and Shell to Your Flock
How you offer these supplements is just as important as which ones you choose. The golden rule is simple: always provide grit and oyster shell in separate containers, free-choice. Never, ever mix them into your flock’s feed.
Your birds know their own bodies. A hen preparing to lay will seek out calcium, while a bird that just ate a lot of tough scratch grains will look for grit. By mixing it into the feed, you force them to consume it whether they need it or not, which can lead to health issues.
Use a dedicated grit feeder or even just a heavy ceramic dish or terracotta plant saucer that they can’t easily tip over. Place it in a covered area of the coop or run to keep it clean and dry. Check the containers weekly, topping them off as needed and cleaning out any soiled material. It’s one of the easiest and most important things you can do for your flock’s long-term health.
Grit isn’t just an optional supplement; it’s a non-negotiable part of a chicken’s basic biology. By providing the right kind of grit and shell, you’re giving your flock the tools they need to thrive, stay healthy, and keep producing those wonderful eggs. It’s a small detail that makes a world of difference.
