Tips for using shellgrit to enhance your animal’s well-being.
Did you know that shellgrit is very useful for pathways and livestock enclosures such as pens and stables. Shellgrit is highly absorbent and improves the hygiene of your livestock or pet enclosure. It reduces the chance of slipping as it provides grip for the animal!
Shellgrit for Chickens
One of the most common uses for shellgrit is a diet aid for chickens…In order to digest their food correctly, chickens require fine (insoluble or ‘flint’) grit. Of course, chickens don’t have teeth so they use this grit to grind down their food.
Inside the chicken’s gut (proventriculus), food is mixed with acids and digestive enzymes. Grit accumulates in the gizzard, which with a strong muscular action, grinds the food down. So to digest their food correctly, chickens need insoluble grit.
The digestive system of a chicken mechanically and chemically breaks down food and allows nutrients to be absorbed ready for use in the body. If your hens are allowed to free-range then it is likely that they already get enough grit in their diet however, this is not always the case because it depends on the type of ground they are kept on.
Shellgrit also contains calcium, most of which is used to form strong egg shells. The majority of an egg shell is made up of calcium carbonate. A constant supply of Jackson’s shellgrit ensures they have sufficient calcium in their bodies. If insufficient calcium is available, they can lay soft or poor quality egg shells.
