Finding a good grit mix is important. While even the most basic grit mixes would contain calcium, calcium alone is not enough. Pigeons require many more ingredients to remain healthy, especially indoor birds and birds that aren’t getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals from other means, like their feed or a vitamin mix (note that mixes should be used carefully: you don’t want to overdose).

There are two types of grit typically available in pet stores, and they serve two distinct purposes:

1. Insoluble grit helps birds break down their food, as they don’t have teeth (therefore can’t break food down like mammals can) and some birds don’t hull their seeds before eating them. Insoluble grit can contain granite, pebbles, or even sand. Pigeons, especially home pigeons, do not need insoluble grit: with the right diet, it’s close to being functionally useless.
2. Soluble grit is a very important supplement: it provides calcium, vitamins, and minerals that are important for your bird’s health and well-being. A good soluble grit mix is absolutely essential for your pigeon companion unless you have a different source of all the vitamins and minerals it provides.

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❗ There is a lot of confusion around grit: you may encounter articles telling you that home pigeons do not actually need grit or even articles claiming that grit somehow hurts them. Pigeons do not need insoluble grit (tiny pebbles helping digestion); however, soluble grit mixes are a source of calcium, vitamins, and minerals and they keep pigeons healthy. You should have a good grit mix available to your pigeons at all times. All diet and wellbeing guides here assume you are providing grit.

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Recommended Grits

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🐦 These are just a few well-known good examples. If you can find an equivalent or something close (use the Key Ingredients section as aid), that’s great!

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• Versele-Laga All-in-One. ****This mix is very popular and has all the necessary ingredients, although you may need to supplement calcium if you have a laying hen as it’s lower on calcium than Des Moines or Jovati. Add some extra oyster shell to the grit mix if you see that it runs out. Has seeds like Jovati + uses a scented attractant, so watch out for possible overeating (see the “Switching Grit” section below).
  • Store links
    • Chewy (US)
    • Jedds (US)
    • Canadian Racing Pigeon Union (Canada)
• Jovati Grit Mixture. Another mix with all the necessary ingredients, slightly lower on calcium than Des Moines but a good option nonetheless. Has seeds in the mix to encourage pigeons to eat more grit, which is not a bad thing but watch out for overeating.
  • Store links
    • Vita King (US)
• Des Moines Red Grit and Mineral Plus Mix. A complete and popular grit mix that is readily available. Note that this mix contains Red 40, which has been linked to health issues in animals, although it’s likely safe in the doses used in grit and many people have been using it without issues.
  • Store links
    • Des Moines Feed & Nature Center (US)
    • Amazon (US)
• Foy’s Red Grit. The new version of this grit seems to lack vitamin D3, so if you go for this option you likely need another source of that.
  • Store links
    • Foy’s Pet Supplies (US)
• Australian Avian Pigeon Pink Minerals. A good mineral mix option in Australia; recommended to mix with shell grit to reduce wastage and make the product easier for the pigeons to consume.
  • Store links
    • Pet and Garden (Australia)

Non-Recommended Grits

• Pure oyster shell grits. There are many of these available out there, but nothing but calcium is only going to, well, provide calcium. A whole aspect of nutrition is missing here.
• Plain granite grits. Many grits contain granite, but this is a token addition more than anything. Granite is functionally useless for pigeons. It is advertised as helping the pigeons grind up their food – but pigeons do this fine on their own. Granite contains no valuable minerals and they generally pass it without affecting it much, if they’ll eat it at all – I was briefly on a granite grit when I didn’t know better and my pigeons hardly touched it. Wonder why!
• Kaytee High-Calcium Grit Supplement for Small Birds. Very common, but made primarily of granite and additionally simply not complete. Better than a plain granite grit but missing many important vitamins, and simply just not formulated with pigeons in mind.

Key Ingredients

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🐦 Much of this is very simplified, and if you understand how these chemicals work, consider doing your own research into their full functions.

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• Lysine and Methionine. Amino acids: not every animal can synthesize amino acids they need by themselves, and if it isn’t in the diet we provide them they’re missing out.
• Calcium. One of the most important minerals for pigeons—especially hens, for eggshell integrity and preventing egg-binding.
• Phosphorus. In short, unscientific terms, helps the bodies of both us and our pigeons do their jobs, aiding healthy function at a microscopic but important level.
• Salt & Sodium. These are two different forms of basically the same thing, but basically, just like us, pigeons require a certain amount of it to remain healthy, especially if they are using resources frequently, like breeding birds. They can become to crave it so strongly they have been known to attempt drinking tears and picking at scabs.

Versele-Laga All-in-One ingredients

• Vitamin A. A vitamin that, like phosphorus, helps the pigeon’s body with general maintenance, including healthy growth and proper organ function.
• Vitamin D3. This vitamin is something that birds exposed to regular UVB light (provided by the sun, unfiltered by any solids such as plastic or glass) will synthesize on their own. But it’s essential for proper bone growth in young birds and aids in absorbing calcium correctly. This is a really good supplement to have for an indoor bird! Above all other extra vitamins D3 is probably the most directly useful.
• Vitamin E. Another vitamin that aids in very small functions; improves overall well-being but also increases reproductive health.
• Ferrous Sulfate (Iron). Like with people, promotes healthy red blood cell production, preventing anemia.
• Calcium Iodate (Iodine). This is rarely a problem for pigeons, but this is a mineral they require, same as us. Pigeons with critical iodine deficiencies can develop the same symptoms as people: a goiter and hyperthyroidism.
• Vitamin B Complex. Often listed as thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid or pantothenate (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9) and cobalamin (B12). Plays a vital role throughout the body. Birds with a deficiency in B can exhibit neurological problems like ataxia. These vitamins are essential in a good grit/supplement.

This isn’t a full list, just looking at the ingredient list, but hopefully now you understand why the grits on the non-recommended list are not enough for proper pigeon nutrition.

Switching Grits

If you need to switch your bird to a different grit—especially from a non-red grit to one of the recommended mixes—make sure to switch over slowly. Eventually, they should be offered a free-feeding grit bowl, but at first just sprinkle a decent pinch on their daily food.

The reason for this is that a pigeon that has been lacking in minerals and vitamins before may overindulge to make up for it and get a minor overdose; additionally, grit mixes with seeds or attractants could also cause your bird to overeat at first. In extreme cases, it could even cause impaction.

Spend at least 2 weeks easing your pigeon onto one of these before free-feeding, and then monitor how much your bird is consuming and adjust accordingly.

If You Can’t Find a Good Grit Mix

Some countries may have difficulty finding access to good grit. Your best option in this case is to look into nearby pigeon clubs or communities and see if they have anything available, or online to find as close of an equivalent as you can.

Sometimes only calcium sources will be available, but that’s still better than granite or nothing at all. If you are breeding under these circumstances, make certain your birds have some access to sunlight: Vitamin D3 deficiencies in the adults can result in babies with growth problems. Don’t be afraid to ask around for help finding what you need.

Some pet stores, especially ones with a sizable bird section, will also carry vitamin and mineral supplements; wheat germ oil, cod liver oil, and other oil-based vitamin A, D, and E supplements can be used on feed to help cover these essentials. Brewer’s yeast can be a great supplement for getting essential B vitamins. Combined with pure calcium grit, these supplements may be an appropriate substitute for a grit mix. Another option is to contact your avian vet: they might also have vitamin and mineral supplements that you can use.

If you are making your own mix instead of a recommended grit mix, make sure to compare your mix against the Key Ingredients section of this guide.