Why Chickens Need Grit

Hens don’t have teeth (hence the phrase, rare as hen’s teeth), so they ingest grit into their gizzards, where it helps break up their food. (It’s the same reason you see birds pecking at the side of roads.) If your chickens don’t have access to natural grit in the ground, you should provide some.

Grit with added oyster shell has the benefit of a higher calcium content which helps create stronger egg shells.

You can have some in a small container next to their feeder or you can mix it in with the feed. The hens seem to peck at it as and when they need it.