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Providing grit

<strong>Q) Do we need grit in our laying-pen? I have been told that modern feeds have enough calcium in them already and that putting extra grit down is a waste of time and money. I’m of the opinion that the birds wouldn’t eat it if they didn’t need it. I would like to know your thoughts on the subject. H. CLARKSON By email

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(A) I always provide grit for my layers but not with any calcium in it, because the feeds have enough in them already. There?s also evidence to suggest that giving the birds extra calcium may cause hairline cracks in the eggs. Instead of calcium grit, we provide our birds with a grower-type granite grit. This stays in the gizzard once they have eaten it and helps them to digest pellets along with any green stuff they pick up in the pen.