pheasant grit

[hound dog]

do you guys put grit down for the adult pheasants . if so what type and do you put it close to the feeders around the shoot .also should there be water close by

[pg123]

We put down normal poultry grit. We put it inside and around the pen.

 

Water is a must for your birds and it would be sensible to have some nearby.

Edited February 24, 2016 by pg123

[scotslad]

Probably the vast maority of keepers don't put grit down for birds.

If ur shoot is fairly stony quartzy type soil u probably won't need any. I usually put it out but they don't really use it that much and this is on peaty soil.

If it's there 1 less thing for them to wander off for.

 

If ur a chaep skate buy a bag and see th sort of size, then go down the beach/river and dig some urself

[Paul223]

I mix it into the feed at about a good hand full per bag, whether pellet or wheat, done this way there is always a constant fresh supply, also you'll notice if you need more or less as any residue will be left under the feeders, you want a little bit or you're not giving enough, no residue means more grit required.

 

I mix in the feed because trying to reduce birds ingesting carp from the pen floor can only be a good thing! Plus it's always there and once mixed the supply is clean.

 

If one bird wanders off looking for grit you've potentially lost £35, grit is less than £5 per bag, 7 bags will easily mix into 4or5 ton of feed.

 

Some will argue that grit is not needed with pellet, but by giving grit we do two things, populate the gizzard and ensure the birds get the most from the feed. Last year I put down £1200 of pellet, if the grit makes the use of feed just 1% more efficient then it's paid for itself 3 or 4 times over.

[lordripon]

I always supply water next to every feeder , and supply road grit in every release pen . just sweep the excess grit that forms at the kerb side on bends in the roads .

 

I used to get a lot of birds ran over on the back lanes that run through my shoot , when I watched the birds on the roads I realized they are collecting grit......so I decided to collect it for them and even deliver it to the pens .

 

I now lose hardly any to cars

[Paul223]

I always supply water next to every feeder , and supply road grit in every release pen . just sweep the excess grit that forms at the kerb side on bends in the roads .

 

I used to get a lot of birds ran over on the back lanes that run through my shoot , when I watched the birds on the roads I realized they are collecting grit......so I decided to collect it for them and even deliver it to the pens .

 

I now lose hardly any to cars

See my post above, why subject your poults to a potentially contaminated product?

 

It's £4.20 a bag!!

[lordripon]

See my post above, why subject your poults to a potentially contaminated product?

 

It's £4.20 a bag!!

the birds eat it anyway ? and £4.20 is more than the cost of a poult ! if you haven't been giving your birds grit it is a cheap and argument free way of getting it into them as well as stopping them wandering into harms way picking it from the road sides....

I would love to buy grit by the pallet load but as my shoot has not budgeted for this in the last 32 years its just another cost to the shoot owner.

so my birds will continue to eat a potentially contaminated product.

[Paul223]

The birds eat it at the roadside because it's not being provided, provide clean grit and you wouldn't see them on the roadside collecting it, what you have is a prime example of why you should be providing clean grit.

 

£.4.20 is more than the price of a poult yes, but your not buying grit at a rate of one bag to each poult! Last season my grit cost less than 4p per bird for the entire rearing and shooting season. Clean grit in the food means the birds are more efficient with the food, putting it simply the birds will eat less, so the grit helps pay for itself, if your land is poor for natural grit then it's feasible the grit is more than paying for itself.

Is it really worth the bother of brushing up and bagging tarmac residue?

Is it correct to give the birds, which I'll add should be going into the food chain, a product laden with pitch, for the birds to use to grind their food?...not in my book it's not!

[Paul223]

A little bit of wiki

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizzard#Gizzard_stones

 

Hope that helps you understand

[lordripon]

The birds eat it at the roadside because it's not being provided, provide clean grit and you wouldn't see them on the roadside collecting it, what you have is a prime example of why you should be providing clean grit.

 

£.4.20 is more than the price of a poult yes, but your not buying grit at a rate of one bag to each poult! Last season my grit cost less than 4p per bird for the entire rearing and shooting season. Clean grit in the food means the birds are more efficient with the food, putting it simply the birds will eat less, so the grit helps pay for itself, if your land is poor for natural grit then it's feasible the grit is more than paying for itself.

Is it really worth the bother of brushing up and bagging tarmac residue?

Is it correct to give the birds, which I'll add should be going into the food chain, a product laden with pitch, for the birds to use to grind their food?...not in my book it's not!

quite right paul.....ordering my grit now !

how much grit do you use per ton of wheat ? oh you said ...7 bags to 4.5 ton so costing about £6.50 per ton , I use 17 ton of wheat and 3 of pellet .

so my yearly cost will be £130 to provide for 1100 birds about 12p a bird or about 26p per shot bird

I know my boss will take some convincing ....I think he will tell me they should get it from the road side and I will end up sweeping it up again

Edited February 28, 2016 by lordripon

[Paul223]

quite right paul.....ordering my grit now !

how much grit do you use per ton of wheat ? oh you said ...7 bags to 4.5 ton so costing about £6.50 per ton , I use 17 ton of wheat and 3 of pellet .

so my yearly cost will be £130 to provide for 1100 birds about 12p a bird or about 26p per shot bird

I know my boss will take some convincing ....I think he will tell me they should get it from the road side and I will end up sweeping it up again

Think I said 7 bags will easily mix into 4or 5 ton.... easily is the word!

 

I used a dozen bags between 3 &1/2 ton of pellet and 16 ton of wheat last year, 1500 birds, still have lots of feed about!

Edited February 28, 2016 by Paul223

[Paul223]

And unfortunately your really not understanding the benefits of better digestion and absorption of the feed gained through providing proper grit.

 

Grit is an essential part of the feed structure, feeding contaminated waste from the road side isn't even a good second substitute.

 

Think I'd be right in saying that toxins from the tar will build in the bird, and anyone who eats them, that my friend in my opinion is irresponsible.

[scotslad]

Get urseldf down the beach or a river bank and dig some of the finer gravelly stuff and use it. Free and should be relatively contaminate free

[lordripon]

I think you miss my point ...if your not providing grit they will find it , in my case they find it from the road side causing more problems than tar intake .

I agree totally with the importance of grit , and would love to have the budget to provide it properly

 

in my case I have done the best I can ...moved their grit source to them .

sorry if I cause any offence. rant over

[Susan]

What size grit do pheasants need? (I have red goldens.)

[twenty]

20 hours ago, Susan said:

What size grit do pheasants need? (I have red goldens.)

Crush some dried chicken eggshells, its ideal as a grit.

[dodgy dave]

On 28/02/2016 at 08:21, Paul223 said:

The birds eat it at the roadside because it's not being provided, provide clean grit and you wouldn't see them on the roadside collecting it, what you have is a prime example of why you should be providing clean grit.

 

£.4.20 is more than the price of a poult yes, but your not buying grit at a rate of one bag to each poult! Last season my grit cost less than 4p per bird for the entire rearing and shooting season. Clean grit in the food means the birds are more efficient with the food, putting it simply the birds will eat less, so the grit helps pay for itself, if your land is poor for natural grit then it's feasible the grit is more than paying for itself.

Is it really worth the bother of brushing up and bagging tarmac residue?

Is it correct to give the birds, which I'll add should be going into the food chain, a product laden with pitch, for the birds to use to grind their food?...not in my book it's not!

worse than lead in regards contamination in the food chain

[CharlieT]

On 26/06/2020 at 19:22, twenty said:

Crush some dried chicken eggshells, its ideal as a grit.

No it's not. That's calcium, which is much softer, what they need for digestion a good hard grit which works in the gizzard to aid grinding up their food. 

[Stonepark]

4 hours ago, CharlieT said:

No it's not. That's calcium, which is much softer, what they need for digestion a good hard grit which works in the gizzard to aid grinding up their food. 

We used to get cockle shells and smash them up, much thicker and better.