Is Grit necessary?

[kakhan]

Read somewhere that caged birds don't need grits as they get fine,soaked,soft food.In nature they get the harder seeds and grasses so to digest,grit is needed.Is this right?
Any idea how to make grit ourselves?

[Bird Junky]

Hi There are several way one can make their own grit.
All you need is a pile of rubble, a steamroller, sieves
in various grades & a small sweet jar to keep it in..Lol
Buy it from pet shops it's dirt cheap....B.J.

[Rachael Kellett]

I give mine oystershell grit as recommended by their vet

[samwiseg]

I could be wrong, but I was always under the impression that all birds needed grit no matter what food they have as they have a gizzard not a stomach so grit acts like our stomach acids do?

As for obtaining grit, would think you might be better off purchasing some soluable grit (oyster shell) online as I am not sure what sort of pet shops you have in Pakistan?

Hope that helps?!

[BudgiesBuddy]

Soluable grit can be given occasionally.

[barrieshutt]

Oyster shell grit.



When discussing grit, it is important to realize there are actually two types: soluble and insoluble. Soluble forms of grit include cuttlebone, oyster shell, limestone, and gypsum. Soluble grit is dissolved by acids as it passes through the bird's digestive system, therefore there is little danger of it accumulating in the digestive system or causing an obstruction. Because it dissolves, it does little to aid in the digestion of whole seeds. It does, however, serve as a source of calcium and other minerals.







Insoluble grit is generally in the form of silica, and may range in size from sand to small pebbles. Insoluble grit remains in the gizzard and is thought to aid in the mechanical breakdown of food.


Birds have a muscular portion of the stomach called the gizzard, which grinds and crushes food. The smaller particles, then, are more easily broken down by digestive enzymes as they pass through the digestive tract. Some wild birds eat grit, which passes to the gizzard where it helps in this grinding process. It aids in removing the outer fibrous shell around some seeds (e.g.; sunflower seeds), if the shell was not removed with the beak prior to the seed being swallowed.

[kakhan]

Thank you Barrie its informative for me that cuttle bone is also a grit.I was thinking if the birds have small pebbles and stones,do they pass out of them or remain in their stomach?

[Deleted]

So which is it better to feed...oyster shell grit or normal grit or mixed together?

I'm feeding a bit of each mixed together...is this ok?
Thanks x