# What do you add to your grit?



## Granny Smith (Jul 16, 2011)

I have been using a mixture of: broken granite, broken oyster shells, broken brick, charred wood, magnesium carbonate (athletic chaulk), and pick stone. Now that most of the birds have babies, they are really eating a lot of the grit. At times, they are going for the grit before the food.


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

I would add some type of minerals. Any cattle or livestock mineral from the feed store will do. Just buy the granular type or a small one pound hard block and smash it. They might just be needing some salt too if you don't give any pellets that have salt in it. Put the mineral in a small cup you might be surprised how much they eat.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I use red pigeon grit for digestion, and crushed oystershell for calcium, seperate each in its own crock..they need the grit for the gizzard when what they have gets worn down. the calcium or oyster shell is taken as needed as well.. I think seperating them makes it easier for them to pick what they want.


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## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> I use red pigeon grit for digestion, and crushed oystershell for calcium, seperate each in its own crock..they need the grit for the gizzard when what they have gets worn down. the calcium or oyster shell is taken as needed as well.. *I think seperating them makes it easier for them to pick what they want.*


If you ever watch your birds eat very carefully, if you provide a diet with different grains you'll see all the birds go around pick out one type of seed and then when all that is eaten they start eating another. I notice they go through and eat all the safflower first.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well it's different with grit and oyster shell than with seeds. They will always pick out their favorite seeds first.


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## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

I ordered some things from "Vita King" and they sent a sample of a grit mix they are marketing. Breeders always go through a lot of grit, but all the birds really went for this stuff. The grit mix I usually use has anise in it which smells sort of good but after a while it seems they just like a little change.


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## sdymacz (Aug 30, 2010)

In addition to grit I provide them with pickstone, charcoal in its own cup and chalk.


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

raftree3 said:


> I ordered some things from "Vita King" and they sent a sample of a grit mix they are marketing. Breeders always go through a lot of grit, but all the birds really went for this stuff. The grit mix I usually use has anise in it which smells sort of good but after a while it seems they just like a little change.


I saw this stuff in the Ad Schaerlaeckens DVD and he uses the grit and peanuts placed on the scanner pad to help make the birds trap fast, and he swears the birds go for this grit before food . It might be the same stuff that vita king sells, is it called JOAVATI ? or is it sold by the bucket? It's listed the vita king catalog, and the ingredients list say :Seaweed grit,silex,calcium,oyster shells, stomach grits,loam,minerals, trace elements, breeding seeds, carrots, CU,FE,Zn,Mn,Do,L,Sc,vitamins A,B1,B2,B6,B12,D3 and E


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The Joavati mineral grit bucket is great, and they really do love it, but it is more a mineral supplement I think. The regular red grit I use has larger pieces for grinding.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

there is no need to get complicated about it.. the red pigeon grit found at the feedstore has bits of charcole and anise..it is a granite for digestion.

oystershell is for calcium esp for hens..you want them to have it seperate so they get enough of what they need without having to pick through granite to get enough. sometimes they can get too much grit and get constipated.


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## Granny Smith (Jul 16, 2011)

I don't see any need to separate the different materials. Just like with seeds, I have watched them, and they will quickly take what they want and leave what they don't want. 

Erik, what other minerals do they need? They are getting calcium and magnesium in the oyster shells and chaulk. The pickstone must have some minerals also. 

As far as getting constipated, I am concerned about that. What do you do if that happens?


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

That's a very good question and I really couldn't tell you exactly what each pigeons needs as far a minerals but I will tell you what I was giving mine. Crushed oyster shells made by Pro Manna,(calcium) Cherrystone grit 100% crushed Quartzite Rock. no mineral value.
Trace Mineralized salt ,contents ( salt,zinc,iron,maganese,copper, iodine ) I mix with the grain feed I use is Munson Lakes 16% turkey pellet which also has Phosphorus and a whole list of stuff I cant spell.


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

This is the tag of the bag.


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

I ran out of the above pellet so I've been adding the green and gold pellet to the grain mix as a supplement.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The oyster shell made by pro manna is made for chickens, and a lot of it is really too large for pigeons. I get calcium nuggets at an Agway store here that are just right. I just mix them in with the grit and let them pick out what they want.


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> The oyster shell made by pro manna is made for chickens, and a lot of it is really too large for pigeons. I get calcium nuggets at an Agway store here that are just right. I just mix them in with the grit and let them pick out what they want.


I haven't had any problems with the pro manna oyster shell but maybe my birds are just big piggies .


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

**IMPORTANT: All whole grain rations are deficient in a number of vitamins and minerals essential to pigeons' health and nutrition. For this reason it is recommended that fanciers supply a vitamin supplement (with thiamin, riboflavin, nicontinic acid, folic acid, biotin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, vitamin B12 and choline) and pigeon health grit (with calcium, phosphorous, zinc, manganese, copper, iron and cobalt) on a daily basis.


I came across this when searching for different pigeon feeds. Its off the Purina site add for their Pro grains Pigeon maintenance mix. ( all grain mix)


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