The short answer to this question in my opinion would be NO – pet birds do not need grit.

It used to be thought that birds needed the grit to grind up the seeds that were swallowed whole and this grit was usually made available continuously. Unfortunately many birds became ill or died from eating too much grit when it became impacted.

Most pet birds from finches & canaries to parrots shell their seeds before eating them or eat a pelleted diet and grit is not necessary under those circumstances. These birds are also eating fruits and vegetables, which does not need to be ground up by grit.

Birds such as chickens, doves & pigeons eat their seeds whole & may in fact need grit, although I have had 2 doves in the flight with my parakeets and cockatiels and they have not received any grit in their diet for the seven years they have lived here. Of course my doves eat the same diet as the other birds in the flight.

There are soluble grits on the market, that will dissolve and in doing so provide some calcium to your bird. If you feel that you must use grit, then this type would certainly be the best choice to use, but even then it should not be available on a continuous basis.

Since there does not seem to be any reason to use grit at all for pet birds I have not used it for any of my birds in the last 12 years. They eat a healthy diet consisting of pellets/seeds/fruits/vegetables and have no need for grit.


After many years of pet bird ownership, I have decided to write e-books about the care of some of these wonderful birds.


I found some wonderful parrot t-shirts at Choice Shirts