Chick feed ?

My first chicks this year too and I read you should gradually swap to layer feed, don't do it all at once though.

I've heard you don't use layer until someone actually lays. It is my understanding that you use starter to 10 and then grower to lay - then layer. But if you have starter/grower you use it up to lay. Layer has too much calcium and can harm the development (supposedly) if given too early.

I don't have all the answers but that is what I have read elsewhere.

SelfSufficient is right, you should feed them a grower feed until they begin to lay, then switch to a layer feed.

I feed mine Purina medicated start and grow until they are "about" 20 - 22 weeks old.  If I run out of this feed when they are around 18 - 20 weeks old I will buy one bag of Purina Flock Raiser.  Then when that is gone I will switch to Purina Layena pellets, but not sooner than 22 weeks.   

I feed mine Nutrena medicated Chick Starter/Grower until they merge with the rest of the flock, which is always fed Nutrena All Flock.  Medicated chick feed does no good if the chicks aren't actually on the ground, as it helps them build resistance to cocci.  If you stop the medicated feed before they've been on the ground, there is no immunity built up.  It's one reason why I have a grow-out pen inside the coop - called Chicken Kindergarten - so the kids get their medicated feed "on the ground" and the older birds don't scarf it up.  After I open the gate to the Chicken Kindergarten, I finish the bag of medicated feed.  The older hens will go in there to scarf it down when they can, and the young birds will also eat the All Flock pellets out in the rest of the coop area, but that's okay with me. 

 

I don't feed layer feed at all, because I have birds of all ages in my flock, plus ducks, geese, and of course, roosters.  I do keep crushed oyster shell out 24/7 in separate dish, so the layers which need it can take it.  The babies will taste it, maybe eat some, but not enough to harm them.  Those layers which feel the need for calcium will eat the crushed oyster shell.

 

 

I use non medicated Chick starter from until I see an egg About 22 weeks and then they get switched to Layer Pellets. Flock Raiser is pretty similar to Chick Stater but in Not Medicated. You can feed Medicated Chick starter until then or Flock raiser. I buy my feed from a mill and they only have non medicated Chick starter. If you feed Layer feed  starting at 10 weeks it can possibly cause Kidney problems for the chicks.

 

Nate

This is a good thread.  I'm now confused and worried about putting the 9 chicks in with my two hens.  I dont have a way of keeping them seperated so do I need to stop feeding my two hens layer feed for then next two months?  Sounds like I need to find some All flock feed that both groups can eat.  Correct?

JohnHenry - How old are your chicks?  They should be close to full grown before integrating them with Hens.  Integration can be tricky  The older birds can be very mean to the chicks and even kill them if they are small.  I won't go into details about integrating because that is not the purpose of this thread.  In answer to your question - If the birds are going to be eating the same food you are best to go "all Flock" or "Flock Raiser" (name varies by brand) rather than feeding the chicks layer.

Mine will be 5 weeks old Sunday.  I planned to give them a supervised play date Sunday and the move them fulltime next week.

Edited by JohnHenry - 3/30/12 at 7:14pm