Do chickens need grit and oyster shell?
Chickens need to take in grit to help digest their food. The grit helps grind down the food the hens eat because as everyone knows, chickens don’t have teeth (hence the term “as rare as hens teeth”!) If your hens free-range then it is likely that they already get enough grit in their diet, but if they are confined to a run you should provide a Poultry Grit and Oyster Shell, this can be bought as either a mixed grit or separately. Oyster Shell provides calcium – they use calcium to form the shells on their eggs so if they calcium deficient you will get soft eggs or eggs with no shell. You should provide oyster shell either scattered or in a small pot. This will help them lay hard-shelled eggs and is an essential part of their diet. Some poultry feeds already include a mix of grit and shell e.g. Smallholder Super Mixed Corn.
