FINCHforum

Do Finches Need Grit?

This is a question that comes up frequently and the simple answer is beneath the feet of the wild Owl and Longtail finch in the photograph above.

The photo was taken in northwest Australia, and at least for Australian finches (and I would think for most wild finches), grit is everywhere all the time in both soluble and non-soluble forms (limestone, crustaceans, sand, etc). The photo I don't have is of the several hundred acre burn just a couple of miles from where I took this photo. Charcoal is never very far away from finches living in the top half of Australia and they usually have easy access to it.

Soluble calcium grit is the best calcium supplement you can offer your finches as it allows them to regulate their calcium intake naturally. Non-soluble grit allows your finches to consume grit when they feel the need for grit without consuming calcium. Parent birds use grit to help grind the food they are feeding nestlings in addition to providing calcium for the nestlings' development and to replenish calcium in the hen's body lost through the production of eggs. Finches will also consume grit throughout the year to a lesser extent as a dietary supplement. A good grit mix is about 90% soluble (egg shell, oyster shell, etc), 5% non-soluble (sand), and 5% charcoal (they have access to burned out stumps that stand for years), and certainly in the case of Australian finches you can offer all of the above ingredients ad-hoc continuously.

Fixed doses of calcium supplements in water or foods don't work as the bird has to eat or drink more or less of the food or water to regulate the amount of calcium they are getting. How much calcium does a hen that lays 4 eggs need vs. a hen that lays 6 eggs? A fixed supplement dose of calcium can't be right for both! And does she have to drink more water or eat more of a certain food to get it? This can lead to gorging on food or a calcium deficiency/overdose if you guess wrong on the water supplement dosage. Excess calcium accumulates in the liver and can lead to liver damage. Too little calcium in the diet can lead to a number of health problems. Calcium supplements must be free choice. Many foods have natural levels of calcium, so the answer is a high quality natural diet with a cup of soluble/non-soluble grit on the side to let the birds decide.

The feeding of grit seems to be a point of controversy among veterinarians also, with some recommending it and others opposed to it. The argument against offering grit is that your finches may gorge on it which can lead to crop impaction. Gorging can occur if the overall diet is incorrect or if the bird is sick. So offering a good calcium grit can also serve as an indicator of a poor diet or poor health. If you see continuous gorging of grit outside of the breeding season this serves as an excellent warning system of other underlying problems...problems you may not otherwise know exist. So the advice of not offering a soluble/non-soluble grit is advice designed to protect your birds from behavior related to an already deficient diet or health problem, not advice for the proper maintenance of birds on a balanced diet that are in good health. Grit is simply part of a well balanced nutrition program for species that consume grit in the wild, and the science of finch nutrition has reached the point that offering grit is quite appropriate and in fact an optimum practice.

Bill
http://www.FabulousFinch.com
http://www.NigerThistle.com

I think that the best is to let them have some! If they like it, continue to give them! Let the nature choose!

Excellent article Bill, thanks!

Thank you Bill, I just mixed up a patch of powdered oystershell, charcoal, shaved cuttlebone and shaved mineral block for them to go to as the want.

Great picture!

Glad you weighed in on the benefits of the shell, grit, and charcoal opinions.
I respect your opinions as you have the unique experience of studying these birds habits in the wild. Thanks for sharing your insights. I agree with your observations totally as I have seen our native birds here in America consume these natural resources

Great article. I let mine free feed and chose as the desire.

Thanks, everyone

Just wanted to share my perspective.

Bill

thanks bill for the article, I thought it was very informative. I have posted before on the subject of charcoal. I keep a fair number of Australian finches a well as exotics. My Gouldians (about 50) are now in full breeding mode. The emblemas and the stars are also frenetically nest building. I have a tray of grit 3ftX3ft square which basically contains naturally occuring grit that one would find in the Australian bush. I also provide a bowl of charcoal mini chunks which are keenly sort after by the finches to use in nest construction/cleaning, including all th non Australian finches.. The birds consume grit as part of their daily routine, particularly early in the morning and befor retiring. I have crushed cuttle bone in a similar tray and they appear to move from one to the other in routine. In view of the eagerness which they exibit when I replace the grit, I can only guess how much they enjoy/need it. I have never had one instance of birds over indulging in either grit or charcoal but I do make sure that it is availoable at all times. I could not imagine my aviaries or birds without it.

I confess I've never given my birds girt. I do keep them supplied with cuttlebone and the ingredients in my birds' seed list oyster shells and egg shells as already being in the mix. I'm not sure about charcoal or anything else.

A number of packaged seeds here claim to contain grit in the mix so that may be quite enough. If you have a chance to give a little cup of pure grit to your birds one day it might be interesting to see how they react to it.

In separate treat cups, I provide Kaytee Hi-Cal Grit supplement & Snack Attack Mineral Grit Oyster Shell & Mineral Treat (green in color & smells like anise). All my birds (Goulds, Canaries, Waxbills) snack on this stuff all the time.

finchandlovebird wrote:In separate treat cups, I provide Kaytee Hi-Cal Grit supplement & Snack Attack Mineral Grit Oyster Shell & Mineral Treat (green in color & smells like anise). All my birds (Goulds, Canaries, Waxbills) snack on this stuff all the time.

I haven't tried the Snack Attack stuff (will look into that), but my owls and zebras like the Hi-Call Grit Supplement. My gouldians haven't touched it much that I've noticed. But what I find really interesting is that of all my finches, the two most severely plucked zebras have used it the most.

Thanks, Kenny.

I've enjoyed reading your postings and they are always very consistent with what I saw when I had the chance to visit a number of aviaries in Australia in 2008. Regarding this subject, grit and charcoal everywhere!!! On the ground, in feeding trays...regardless of the setup, there were always unlimited sources of grit.

Bill

Yes Bill, grit and charcoal (and brush) really are a feature of Australian aviaries. I am not sure which aviaries you visited in 2008 but I do think that we take a very natural approach in keeping our birds. I am not sure if it is any better or worse than any other method but it is a feature!!! As you know we tend to have outdoor aviaries rather than indoor setups. It was a real surprise for me seeing the European "birdrooms" indoors and heated. Aviary space is really not an issue with my finchy mates, for most have at least a 1/4 acre block, some of which are stuffed with various sized aviaries!!!! My mates and I try and make keeping the birds relatively stress free by keeping them in top condition naturally with good food and minimal supplementation. I try not to over medicate but rather stick to a system of worming every 3 months-coccidiosis treatment in the rainy season and/or every 3 months. The only regular additives I use are PVM POWDER and BIOCAL mineral supplements from the Australian Pigeon Company, Wambaroo insectivorous powder and of course the grit charcoal/iodine mix.

@kenny 66.
Which brand of grit-charcoal-iodine mix do you feed?
Thx,
Christel