Grit (supplement)

Grit is a material eaten by birds to aid in their diets and digestion. Wild birds find grit naturally while foraging, and farmers can purchase grit for their domestic fowl. There are two forms: soluble grit, which dissolves in a bird's digestive system and is often made of calcium; and insoluble grit, which remains in the gizzard and is usually composed of stone. Grit that starts off in rough or angular pieces may become rounded off as it is used in a bird's gizzard.

Grit is sold in stores for use in poultry rearing. It can prevent domestic from developing an impacted crop, especially during molting season, when chickens are prone to eating their own feathers. Its use in wild waterfowl and gallinaceous birds has been the subject of many avenues of research: their status as game birds, their population densities, the potential role of grit in lead poisoning, and pesticides that grit may include.

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