UkPigeonRacing

I know what we are told about the need for Grit and Minerals but what I’m asking is what is other members experiences of them rather than their thoughts on using them.
I haven’t really used any grit or minerals for years. Mine seem to do fine without it.
Last week I had a new wholesaler delivery for our pet shop. Most of our wholesalers now do very little in the way of pigeon products and being a tight git I only use what I can buy at wholesale price rather than retail price.
This new wholesaler does do a few more products for pigeons. So after looking through what they had I brought pickstones, grit and minerals. I put a pot of each in each of my 3 sections. My pigeons have hardly touched any of them.
How much do other members find their birds take and do you think it actually makes any difference?

I give mine fresh matrix grit after there feed and they all eat it straight away tbh ofcourse since I restarted with the birds

Mine love the Gritt every time I put it in the all take it plus Pink and Black minerals but they don't take these as much as the Gritt

Andy, when I first started with the birds there was none of these grit/mineral combos around and the only grit you could get was a 25kg bag of the conventionl pigeon grit along with the pic pots.
You could put a pot of the traditional grit in the shed and it would remain in there virtually untouched for a week.
They still have that but now I also give them De Patagoons and I havr to ration that, otherwise they would gorge on it and the standard stuff still appears to be untouched.
I am not the right person to determine whether it is needed or not but I sometimes wonder whether you could actually race on the de patagoons without any food with the amount they would eat. They would absolutely gorge on it if you let them.
Maybe I should try it lol.

Diamond Dave wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2026 8:11 pm Andy, when I first started with the birds there was none of these grit/mineral combos around and the only grit you could get was a 25kg bag of the conventionl pigeon grit along with the pic pots.
You could put a pot of the traditional grit in the shed and it would remain in there virtually untouched for a week.
They still have that but now I also give them De Patagoons and I havr to ration that, otherwise they would gorge on it and the standard stuff still appears to be untouched.
I am not the right person to determine whether it is needed or not but I sometimes wonder whether you could actually race on the de patagoons without any food with the amount they would eat. They would absolutely gorge on it if you let them.
Maybe I should try it lol.

Mine are the same with the redstone and grit mix, I also give the black and pink minerals the black lasts longer than pink, a pot of pink gone in couple days

I know of a very good sprint flyer who has won over 50 first feds who never gives any grit as he says it’s unneeded ballast.

Andy wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2026 8:41 pm I know of a very good sprint flyer who has won over 50 first feds who never gives any grit as he says it’s unneeded ballast.

And yet they say birds need grit to help digestion

Buster121 wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2026 9:51 pm

Andy wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2026 8:41 pm I know of a very good sprint flyer who has won over 50 first feds who never gives any grit as he says it’s unneeded ballast.

And yet they say birds need grit to help digestion

Yes that’s what we are always told. But is it really?? Mine certainly don’t seem to need it, or particularly want it.

You should see mine! They go mental over it.
I use a shell grit with some added pink minerals. Comes in 20 kilo bags.
Now they are all feeding babies they demand it. I have hens hanging on the wire flapping after I've taken the feed trays away. I only have to say "Birds want some Grit?" and they are all lined up
I know many people don't worry about it but it but mine love it and the shell grit is a good source of calcium for the youngster's bones.
I also have a heap of dirt, mostly clay, in the back yard that they are gradually eating. They take it back in and poke it into the babies.

Buster121 wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2026 9:51 pm

Andy wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2026 8:41 pm I know of a very good sprint flyer who has won over 50 first feds who never gives any grit as he says it’s unneeded ballast.

And yet they say birds need grit to help digestion

Yes buster it does, when i had my birds they got Grit and minerals fresh daily.