How long can chickens stay on start/grow feed?

[swtamour]

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From my experience, you can switch to grower crumbles around 8-10 weeks old and then to layer when you see your first egg. I mixed the feed together so the chickens can get used to the new food. I started with 80% old feed with 20% new feed. And then gradually increase the new feed until the old food runs out.

 

[missalyshaann]

Alrighty thanks for that...

 

[threehorses]

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If it's amprolium, it's not an antibiotic - it's an anti-protazoal and is much different and more safe than an antibiotic.

Starter hasn't enough of what layers need. Better to go with a grower at 6 weeks plus. Be sure to give oyster shell to your hens free choice.

Personally I like to keep the birds under 5 months separate from the hens because of immune reasons. it's sound chicken keeping. That also prevents a number of nutritional problems that can happen when feed isn't age-appropriate.

Hope this helps!

 

[luvarabhorses]

I think somebody on here said 20 weeks due to higher calcium in layer.

I did find an unmedicated starter made by Allied yesterday so I think I will switch over to that- thanks!

 

[jesd]

My goodness, I guess I'm going to have to pick up oyster shells sooner than I thought -- my 17 wk olds (one of them at least) gave us our first egg today!!!

 

[Sissy]

I have hens 20 weeks old in with some older hens and give them the purina layer feed also the cihx starter feed,
when the starter runs out they all will have the Purina.
including the roos..

 

[NYREDS]

I solved the "what to feed" problem several years ago after visiting one of the best Black Rosecomb breeders in the country. All of his birds were in beautiful condition & I asked him what he fed.
He told me he only used one feed, a high protein game bird grower. Said he fed that to chicks & adult birds alike.
I switched to this method & it has worked out very well. The birds grow well, feather quickly & stay in good condition longer. Feather quality is improved & they lay & hatch well on this feed.
I am using a 22% protein Blue Seal product called Chick n Game Bird Starter Grower. I suspect other manufacturers make similar products.
A bonus is that when I'm away at a show for the weekend I don't have to give my wife a list of who gets fed what-there's only one feed. Really simplifies things. Don't have to decide when to switch feed. Don't have to decide if I should buy another bag of Starter of switch to Grower-no decisions to make.
Works real well for me.

 

[letsgobucks!]

Now THAT sounds easy and simple. I was under the impression that such high protein wouldn't be optimal for the full grown chickens but it if it works without problem, sounds GREAT!
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[livin-green]

Okay the Chick Start-n-Grow that I use says it's medicated. I checked the label and it has amprolium...113.5g/ton. It is a min 19% crude protein and max 1.45% calcium. Is this a feed that would appropriate for year old layers and ~16 week pullets?

I normally supplement with oyster shell--free access--but I have it taken up at the moment since the younger ones are mixed with the older ones. Don't really have a way to separate them at this point--what would you guys suggest??

 

[threehorses]

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You're good to go then. That feed is good til 16 weeks. I feed it until the pullets start to grow and turn red. Then I start integrating laying pellets or crumbles into the feed. The amprolium - that's fine. It's not an antibiotic, just a little coccidiostat. And the younger won't take the oyster shell if you give them chick and adult sized granite grit mixed in with the oyster shell. So you can put it back down.

I agree by the way on the game grower if you know how to spot coccidiosis before it really starts, or use probiotics weekly, or both.

I did that this year as I had some goslings and turkey poults to start at the same time and it really made my birds beautifully feathered and develop correctly.