Cuttlebone and/or grit?

Question

Can you use cuttlebone as a substitute for grit,or do you have to have grit?

Answer 1

Hello.

To my knowlege , cuttle bone is for calcium and grit is helping digestion . Some birds need grit as a must ( pigeons , doves , keets ...) and some does not ( parrotlets don't need it ) . TM.

Answer 2

never use grit for pet birds it causes a crop impaction and your birds will die from the crop impaction . cuttlebone provides calcium and or a mineral block . always use one of those because it is full of minerals . cuttlebones provide calcium . good luck .

Answer 3

I use both...just to give my birdy some options.

Answer 4

It depends on the types of birds.

The only birds that truly NEED grit, are birds that do not hull their seeds (so birds like chickens and other fowl, doves, etc., who swallow the seeds whole).

Birds like parrots, finches, canaries, et.al., that hull their seeds do not *need* grit, and it can sometimes cause crop impactions if feed in excess.

All birds, however, can benefit from a cuttlebone/crushed oystershell & mineral supplement for the vitamins, calcium and minerals they provide.  These are soluble and digested, whereas grit is insoluble and remains with the bird in its gizzard its entire life.