Offer insoluble grit for confined hens

Provide insoluble poultry grit (granite chips) in a separate dish for hens that do not free-range on natural ground. The gizzard uses stored grit to grind food — without it, hens cannot properly digest whole grains, seeds, or fibrous greens from treats and foraging. Free-ranging hens pick up natural stones, but confined birds need grit supplied.

Why It Works

Chickens swallow food whole and rely entirely on their gizzard to mechanically break it down. The gizzard contracts powerfully against stored grit to crush food into digestible particles. Without grit, food passes through partially undigested, reducing nutrient absorption and potentially causing crop impaction. This is especially important for hens receiving whole-grain treats or kitchen scraps alongside their layer feed.

Tips

• Use adult-sized grit for hens over 8 weeks; chick grit for younger birds
• Grit is not the same as oyster shell — grit grinds food, oyster shell provides calcium; offer both
• Hens on a pellet-only diet with no treats need minimal grit since pellets dissolve readily
• A small flock uses about 1 pound of grit per month at a cost of a few dollars