Do Pigeons Need Grit?
When it comes to feeding pigeons, a topic you’ll surely come across is grit. Some claim it is not necessary, while others insist on using them.
So, do pigeons need grit? Pigeons do need some grit in their diet to help digest food, but pets fed a quality diet may not need grit as much. Soluble grit with minerals can still be beneficial.
Homemade grit can be made from concrete pieces, oyster shells, and charcoal, but only small amounts are needed.
Then why do so many pigeon owners claim there is no need to add grits to food?
Well, to find answers to that and understand the necessity and effectiveness of grits, you will have to stick to the end of this guide, where we will discuss everything, you need to know about grits for pigeons!
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Why Do Pigeons Eat Grit?
Pigeons eat grit to help their digestive process. Unlike mammals, pigeons don’t have teeth. So, they are not able to break down food the way others do.
But the body can’t process food that isn’t broken down.
That is where gizzards come in. These gizzards grind the food and break it down, which ultimately allows pigeons to digest food. Think of the gizzard as a knife that cuts down the food for the body to consume.
If a knife keeps on slicing without grinding, then it will lose its edge.
So, from time to time, it needs to be ground and that grinding for gizzards is provided by grit. That’s why pigeons eat grit, to keep their gizzards effective and boost digestion.
Is Grit More Important for Pigeons?
Many birds may consume grit, but it isn’t as necessary as it is for pigeons. This is primarily due to the food and dietary choices of pigeons.
Pigeons mainly consume seeds and grains, which have hard outer shells that are difficult to break down. While the gizzards are meant to break them down, the process can be very slow and affect the muscle movement of the birds as well.
Consuming grits allows pigeons to coat their gizzards like an abrasive substance, which allows a faster and much more optimal breakdown of the food. From this point of view, it is safe to say that grit is more important to pigeons than others.
See our in-depth “Pigeon Foods and Diet” article to learn what these urban birds eat. We cover their dietary habits and nutrition.
What Does Grit Do for Pigeons?
As mentioned earlier, the primary function of grit is to help with the digestion process of pigeons. They improve the overall mechanical function of a pigeon’s digestive system by acting like an abrasive coating on the gizzard.
It also ensures that pigeons are able to consume hardened foods and seeds easily.
Sometimes, pigeons may also end up eating rocks, soil and gravel. Grits help them to consume that as well.
How Often Do You Give Pigeons Grit?
When you are making a dietary plan for pigeons that includes grit, you may wonder, do pigeons need grit every day, or is there any specific routine that you may need to follow?
The grit requirement for pigeons varies depending on how much food a pigeon is consuming. It is not necessary to feed them grit every day, but if you are raising pigeons that eat a lot of seeds (Nyjer), then you may have to include grit with every meal.
There are a few factors that you will have to keep in mind when determining how often you will give your pigeons grit. Have a look –
Overall Diet and Amount
What type of food is your pigeon eating? How hard are the seed shells? – Depending on the answer, you might have to feed grit regularly or once in two or three days.
In the wild, pigeons usually get access to grit on a regular basis and consume them daily as well. That being said, the food requirement of wild pigeons can vary from domestic ones.
Age is also a factor that may determine how much grit a pigeon needs. Young pigeons won’t require much grit, but as they grow up, their grit requirement increases as well.
Species and Purpose
Depending on the species and breeding priorities, your grit distribution may vary.
For example, if you are raising pigeons for squab production, then you will want them to be as big and meaty as possible. This means they will eat more seeds and grains; therefore, they will need grit more consistently as well.
Similarly, pigeons bred for beauty contests want to be lean, so you can consider giving them grit after some interval periods.
Individual Needs
Some pigeons might need more grit than others. You will have to observe your pigeons and look for signs to find out. An easy solution to this situation is to provide easy access to grits to your pigeons.
This way, you won’t have to worry about observing and finding out which pigeon needs grit, as the ones that will feel the need will just take the grit and others won’t.
How Do You Feed Pigeons Grit?
Feeding your pigeons grit should be similar to how you feed your pigeons food. But there can be some alteration depending on your pigeon’s behavior and need.
Here are some steps that you may follow to ensure your pigeons are fed grit properly:
Step – 1: Find the Right Grit
Pick up grits that are specifically made for pigeons. There are a lot of options out there. Some grits can come along with the bird food, like the Hagen Pigeon and Dove Seed. There are also individual grit options like the Manna Pro Chick Grit.
You can also make grits on your own from smooth stones and crushed oyster shells. But if you are purchasing bird food anyway, why not just add grits to the list too?
Step – 2: Provide the Grit in a Grit Container
Pigeons are intelligent birds with sharp memories. So, if you start to provide grit in a specific grit container, they will remember it and approach it when they feel the need to consume grit.
You should offer grit freely and shouldn’t force them to eat grit unless you are 100% sure that a pigeon isn’t getting enough grit through monitorization.
Step – 3: Maintain Proper Proportion with Bird Food
Based on your pigeon’s diet and food consumption rate, maintain the grit amount. They should be eating enough food before they start consuming grit.
How Grit Enhances the Pigeon Digestive System?
With all this talk of grit and how to feed it to pigeons, you might be wondering how grit is beneficial for pigeon health.
But first, let me give you a short overview of how the pigeon digestive system works –
- Ingestion – Pigeons use their beak to break down food into smaller pieces since they lack teeth. The food is mixed with saliva in the mouth.
- Storage – Food passes down the esophagus to the crop, where it is temporarily stored before digestion begins.
- Glandular Stomach – From the crop, food moves to the proventriculus, where digestive enzymes and acids start breaking it down.
- Grinding – The gizzard acts as a muscular grindstone. The gizzard contains small stones and grit the pigeon has swallowed to help grind and crush food.
- Absorption – In the small intestine, villi lining the walls absorb nutrients from the broken-down food particles.
- Elimination – Remaining indigestible material passes into the large intestine and is expelled from the body as feces.
Role of Grit
Insoluble grit is retained in the gizzard and helps grind down tough grains and seeds. It must be continually replaced as it is eliminated.
Soluble grit like oyster shell provides supplemental minerals like calcium that are absorbed in the small intestine.
Both types of grit improve digestion – insoluble grit enhances grinding action and soluble grit contributes nutrients.
Well, not only does grit improve the grinding action of a pigeon’s stomach, but it ensures that mechanical digestion occurs without slowing down and proper nutrient absorption is present.
They also prevent any blockages that pigeons might face, as they are known to eat obnoxious things like rocks and soil at times. If grit wasn’t present to take care of these issues, a pigeon could fall seriously ill and suffer from malnutrition.
Is It Necessary for Pigeons to Consume Grit?
You may stumble across some pigeon owners who claim that there isn’t any need to add grit to a pigeon’s diet, and yes, in some cases, that is true.
But you will have to follow a very careful dietary routine and keep your pigeons on a tight diet for that to happen.
In this type of situation, you will have to ensure that your pigeons are consuming food that doesn’t require the pros provided by grit. Food that is soft with no hard shells or anything.
You will also need to secure your pigeons so they don’t eat anything that may create a digestive blockage. Doing this may remove the necessity of using grit, but it is much more time-consuming, costly and difficult to do so.
To understand what kind of risk you are taking by not adding grit to your pigeons’ diet, have a look at the following section –
Digestive Disturbances
Without grit to help grind food, pigeons may suffer from impaired digestion and an inability to properly break down food in the gizzard.
This can lead to obstructions and blockages in the digestive tract, causing discomfort, pain and other health complications.
Nutrient shortages
Grit provides key minerals like calcium that are vital to pigeons. Without enough grit, pigeons can develop fragile bones, weakened eggshells and deficiencies in nutrients that grit provides.
And this makes getting adequate minerals through grit intake essential.
Excessive Consumption
Pigeons lacking grit may overeat grit if available to compensate. But overeating grit brings its own risks of digestive upset and should be avoided. Moderation with grit is key.
Liver Overload
Too much grit puts a strain on the pigeon’s liver by causing a nitrogen imbalance. This can impair liver function, so grit intake needs to be controlled.
Crop Impaction
The crop can become impacted if grit accumulates there. This causes discomfort and pain. Certain birds, like parakeets, are especially at risk if they hull seeds. Monitoring grit intake prevents this issue.
A lack of grit leads to digestion issues, nutrient deficits, overconsumption dangers, liver overload and crop problems in pigeons. Carefully managing grit intake is crucial for pigeons’ health.
Conclusion
Grit is an essential food component that any seed-devouring bird should consume, and pigeons are no exception to that. So, do pigeons need grit?
Absolutely. Just make sure to give them the right amount and feed them with their natural foods.
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References
- https://www.safeguardpestcontrol.co.uk/what-do-pigeons-eat/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281543459_True_Grit_in_Pigeons
