When should I start to give my chicks Layer feed?

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QuiltChicky said:
Glad this question was asked as I am new to all this too. But I still have mine on 20% , should I drop them down to 16 to 18% feed the next bag? Mine are 4 weeks old . I lost my first batch to raccoons , not cool I cried for days .out of 9 only 2 made it and they were to big to put with this batch so I gave them away. The raccoon's are gone for good , so now last night we put the second batch out there and worked our butts off making a better coop . The darn raccoons chewed through the wood , I'm guessing she wanted to feed her babies bad . We not in my coop do you eat my babies . Now it's like a fort that nothing can get into . So is it okay to keep them on 20% until they start laying ? Also I read if I'm reading right I should drop them down to 18% until they start laying and can give them laying mash or keep them on 18% and give them oyster shells , ALSO should I keep them on GRIT at all times???
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I wouldn't drop to 16% yet. 18-20 is good up to 12-14 weeks. By then, their growth spurts are over and you could drop back then. However, 16% grower is pretty uncommon. I've only seen it in an organic feed.
Sometimes 15% finisher is available. If you get to where you want to cut the protein, about 10% of the diet can be grain which is between 8 and 12%.
Grit is cheap and should be offered all the time. At 4 weeks they can graduate from chick grit to #2 grit. #3 or adult grit by 12 weeks.
Raccoons are never gone for good.
 
This is great information. We were thinking that the only way the girls hens to start laying by giving them the new feed.

Thank you

Papa rooster
 
Silly question. I have 6 girls in my flock; 3 that are about 21 weeks old, 2 that are about 18 weeks and 1 that's about 16 weeks old. One of them, either one of my 21 week old girls or one of my 18 week old girls laid their first egg today! They're still on chick starter/grower and get grit/ oyster shell free choice.

Should I move them all over to layer feed or wait until my youngest hen starts laying?
 
This is good information. My girls are approx. 14 weeks and I have them on 22% protein and plan to keep them on it for a while. After all I have read it it still a good feed for them even after they start to lay. I need to upgrade the grit to adult grit after reading this article. We built a very secure coop and run right from the beginning with security lights. It will be a bad day the first time I catch someone going after my girls !!!
Thanks for all of your help and great information.
Papa Rooster
 
CrazedCowgirl said:
Silly question. I have 6 girls in my flock; 3 that are about 21 weeks old, 2 that are about 18 weeks and 1 that's about 16 weeks old. One of them, either one of my 21 week old girls or one of my 18 week old girls laid their first egg today! They're still on chick starter/grower and get grit/ oyster shell free choice.

Should I move them all over to layer feed or wait until my youngest hen starts laying?
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As long as your grit and oyster shell are in separate containers, I'd keep them on grower till they all lay. If the egg shells become a problem, you can switch.

Master H said:
This is good information. My girls are approx. 14 weeks and I have them on 22% protein and plan to keep them on it for a while. After all I have read it it still a good feed for them even after they start to lay. I need to upgrade the grit to adult grit after reading this article. We built a very secure coop and run right from the beginning with security lights. It will be a bad day the first time I catch someone going after my girls !!!
Thanks for all of your help and great information.
Papa Rooster
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I'd cut the protein % at 14 weeks. They aren't growing as fast and need to do something with the excess protein. The excess has to be processed by the liver and ends up wasted as ammonia in the bedding.
A mature hen, unless she is molting doesn't need more than 17%. From 14 weeks to point of lay, 15-16% is sufficient.
 
ChickenCanoe said:
Good information given so far.
I caution to avoid following the recommendations on some bags that say to start layer feed at 18 weeks.
Backyard chickens aren't normally on a lighting program and of various breeds that may take much longer to mature. If approaching laying age after the summer solstice when days are getting shorter, it may take them a long time to start laying. If they don't start till 30 weeks or much longer, that would be a long time for a 4% calcium diet without producing egg shells.
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Excellent post. While I have had a few birds (all from one line.) start laying before four and a half months, my average age of point of lay is six months and I've had some mature in the winter who didn't start until over eight months.
Right now I'm growing some pullets out and will switch them to layer food when they all start to lay or close to it if I move them to the main coop.
I wanted to add that I think the instructions written on some bags are because so many with layers get the production breeds or sex links that lay early while many others on this list have heritage or other breeds that may not mature as soon.
 
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junebuggena said:
In addition to what has already been said, I want to throw this out there. You don't need to feed them layer at all. There is no magic ingredient in it that 'makes' them lay. If you like to give your birds treats or free range, layer feed might actually have a detrimental effect on laying. It's got barely enough protein in it for egg production, if fed as the sole source of nutrition. If you offer treats or scratch, that will reduce the overall amount of protein the birds are taking in, and can cause egg eating.
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Totally agree. My nine 26 week old hens get meat bird feed from a co-op and free range. Freezing temps and they’re consistently giving me 7 large eggs a day. I throw out some scratch mixed with wild bird seed and oyster shells. Whatever scraps I have. Some happy birds!
 

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