Red Stone Grit

[Wiley]

Why do birds have a preference for this type of grit....ive noticed when i give a mixed grit, they will eat all the red stone but are give or take on the rest of the mixture, and grit is given fresh daily

[Tony C]

I don't really know but perhaps because its a bit softer and easier to break down & digest.

[Wiley]

I don't really know but perhaps because its a bit softer and easier to break down & digest.

 

Im half tempted to only offer them red stone from now on as the rest of the mix is basically wasted, whats your thinking?

[Tony C]

Im half tempted to only offer them red stone from now on as the rest of the mix is basically wasted, whats your thinking?

When I pair up after a few days I start putting a teaspoon of mixed grit in each nestbox, I do this because once the cocks start driving hard they wont allow their hens the freedom to get to the grit pot. They clear up the grit in their boxes leaving neither one type or the other. Whence sitting I go back to just putting the mixed grit in pots and this is when they start picking at the red stuff over the other. I think they know what they need at different times of the nesting cycle, when being driven they'll go for the mixed grit in equal parts & when sitting/rearing they prefer the red stone.

[alex young]

When I was a kid I used to help look after the convoyers birds when he was away.He was also a brickie and if working on very old houses he would bring home a couple of old bricks and get me to break them up with his lump hammer,the birds would go mad for it.

[Leroy]

I always give the birds every supplement separate that way they only take what they need and when. The red pick pots are a staple part of their requirements all year around.

I believe the red stone has medicinal properties, similar to nature programmes when you see parrots eating clay etc. 2014 season I had my young birds back from a race and a silver hen dropped in, went straight to the red pick stone, not the drinker or feeder. She filled up on it. She was the only bird that DIDN'T come down with young bird sickness that year. Now that might be a coincidence, but that hen knew she needed red stone, over and above a drink.

 

It just confirmed to me that they know what they need more than I can predict.

[greenlands]

I always give the birds every supplement separate that way they only take what they need and when. The red pick pots are a staple part of their requirements all year around.

I believe the red stone has medicinal properties, similar to nature programmes when you see parrots eating clay etc. 2014 season I had my young birds back from a race and a silver hen dropped in, went straight to the red pick stone, not the drinker or feeder. She filled up on it. She was the only bird that DIDN'T come down with young bird sickness that year. Now that might be a coincidence, but that hen knew she needed red stone, over and above a drink.

 

It just confirmed to me that they know what they need more than I can predict.

That's it mate OBSERVATION.

[Water Boy]

I mix half redstone, half mixed grit. That way they have plenty of redstone but a little shell grit also if needed.

[geordie1234]

I only feed Matrix