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Vinnie Laraway Inner circle 1272 Posts |
Hey guys. I went to Petsmart the other night and got some Bird Gravel Platinum grit... I got this last time too, and I am like 1/4 the way left with the old grit.
This new grit is the "New and Improved Blend", but it is the exact same box and everything that the other one came in. The old blend ( http://www.petsmart.com/media/ps/images/......44dd.jpg ) looks more like a grayish sand type form, and the "improved" (which is the exact same box, but just with the New and Improved Blend Logo in the corner) looks like a white and brown small flake.. Anyway, could I mix these 2 together and not have a problem? Also, would it be ok for my dove to switch the grits from the old to this new one? Thanks -Vinnie |
Dave Scribner Assistant Manager Lake Hopatcong, NJ 4849 Posts |
Vinnie, the birds don't know the difference. All they are concerned with is that they have something to grind up the seeds. Mixing it is fine. I often switch grit. I used to use oyster shells but you can't get them any longer.
What they sell as oyster shells is actual more of a dust now. I switched to a grit that is like tiny stones. Every once in awhile, I use a brand of grit that is green. It smells like licorice and for some reason, the birds go nuts over it. I find the same thing with a product called "song food" for canaries. It looks like birdseed and smells like licorice. My birds devour it.
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Vinnie Laraway Inner circle 1272 Posts |
Thanks for the info Dave!
Also, is it ok to leave the grit in the cage at all times? I remember Frewin talking about this a little in the CCIDM, and I think he said that they could get sick by eating too much or something... So for one dove, how long should it be in the cage per day? Or how many days per week, etc? Thanks -Vinnie |
Dave Scribner Assistant Manager Lake Hopatcong, NJ 4849 Posts |
If you mix it with their food, of course it gets changed frequently. You can also use a separate container for grit. They only eat it when they need it. It doesn't go bad or spoil no matter how long you keep it in the container. I guess bottom line is that either way if fine.
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Vinnie Laraway Inner circle 1272 Posts |
Ok, cool. Then I’ll leave it in there all the time. And I remember being told somewhere that mixing it w/ the food isn't good. I wouldn’t recommend it.
-Vinnie |
Dave Scribner Assistant Manager Lake Hopatcong, NJ 4849 Posts |
There's nothing wrong with mixing it with the food. You don't mix it every time, just several times a week is sufficient. They'll eat it if they want, otherwise it will just stay in the feed cup.
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1906Alpha1906 Special user North Cacky Lack 516 Posts |
Hi Vinnie....as Dave does, I actually mix my grit into the food mixture so the doves can ingest if they want too. Since the food is changed all the time, its easier to do it that way. Find what works best with you. Doves are not so unintelligent that they would mistake a bowl of grit for seed. They are smarter than that.
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Autumn Morning Star Grammar Hostess Today, I corrected grammar in 1378 Posts |
Hello Vinnie,
As Dave and Alpha do, I also put my grit on top of the food a few times a week. Soujnds like everything you are doing is wonderful. Most important, don't worry! Since we are talking grit: The most amazing grit I have ever found is called "red pigeon grit". This is a large grit the size of small aquarium gravel and you get it at the feed store. It comes in 50 lb. bags and will last forever. Racing pigeons eat this sort of grit and I accidentally found that my doves loved it too. Right now I am using the same small "new and improved" grit you are using.
Wonder is very necessary in life. When we're little kids, we're filled with wonder for the world - it's fascinating and miraculous. A lot of people lose that. They become cynical and jaded, especially in modern day society. Magic renews that wonder.
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Vinnie Laraway Inner circle 1272 Posts |
Hey Autumn, thanks for chiming in...
And Im glad your doves like the grit you provide for them, but quite honestly, just in my opinion, I wouldnt use anything bigger than the "new and improved" grit that the both of us are using... I know it is ok to use bigger grit, but it urges me the question that if they need the grit to break down food, and if the food and grit are both the same size, or the grit is bigger, wont that cause a problem? -Vinnie |
Dave Scribner Assistant Manager Lake Hopatcong, NJ 4849 Posts |
Vinnie, you have to think about what the grit is doing. It's not a food additive but a food crusher. Since doves don't have teeth, they swallow the seeds whole and digest them in their crop. The grit simply grinds the seeds for them. Small, powdery grit is ok but it doesn't do the same job as the bigger grit. If you look in the pet shops, you'll see jars of grit of varied sizes. Typically the size marked for canaries parakeets and finches is the correct size.
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Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
Boy! These must be city birds. Mine get a handful of sand and oyster shell when I remember.
Actually, if you feed them gamebird breeder, it is already in there. I don't like to feed pellets and my feed store never has the crumbles, so I usually just feed milo with a little corn once in a while. I just never thought in terms of "new and used" grit. Bob Sanders Magic By Sander |
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