I have a Question about feeding

[countrygirl911]

Hi everone i have 4 chickens that are about to start laying and 5 more a few weeks later i am getting 8 new babies next weeks and my question is i know by the time the new ones go outside the older ones will be laying how do i feed the different ages but give the older ones what they need inorder to produce healthy eggs can i just feed them the grower pellets then give the older ones oyster shell is it safe for the older ones to be on grower pellets that long dont they need to be switched to the layer pellets first time chicken owner and would really like some help

 

[NonnasBabies]

Best thing to do would probably be to put them on Purina Flock Raiser w/free choice oyster shells until their all laying!!

Missi

 

[Mahonri]

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That's what I'm doing.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

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Me, too. Works great. I keep a tuna can near the feeder filled with crushed eggshells/oyster shells. Just my oldest pullets are laying at this time...have 16 more waiting in the wings.

Good luck!

 

[Chris09]

You could use Purina Flock Raiser. It is pushed a lot on here.
You can also use,
A Starter/ Grower, (Unmediated)
Game Bird Grower,
Buckeye Big 4
Kents Home Fresh 27 Poultry or Home Fresh Multi-Flock

If you are going to feed either the Starter/ Grower or the Game Bird Grower just provide a sores of calcium for your older birds...

Chris

 

[whillergee]

I have the same issue, although my two younger birds are only 4 weeks behind the older ladies (who are just now starting to lay - only one so far, but two more doing the "egg squat"). I've been putting out oyster shell and clean, dried, crunched-up eggshells, and it seems like they eat however much I put out. Will they really eat only what they need, and only if they need it? I'm a little bit afraid of messing with their kidneys if they don't know when to stop eating the calcium. Call me the Weird Worrywart Chicken Lady.

 

[Kittymomma]

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They'll be fine. Many of mine did the same thing when I first started supplementing with oyster shell, but slowed down by quite a bit after it had been out for a couple of weeks. They really do seem to know what their bodies need. Some hens still eat more of it then the others but I think they just need the extra calcium, maybe they don't get as much good stuff while free ranging as some of the other girls??....

 

[PunkinPeep]

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Sometimes they'll over eat the "new thing" just because it's new, but they'll lay off when it becomes normal. I wouldn't worry.

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I don't push the Flock Raiser, but i do use it because my sources are sort of limited. If i could get an unmedicated game bird grower locally, i would use that. Sometimes unmedicated is hard to come by.

 

[whillergee]

Thanks for the "feed"back, you guys (har har, I'm cracking myself up...). I want to make sure my little flock of six girls is happy and that they have whatever their egg machinery needs to produce those fabulous fresh eggs! The Leghorn started laying a couple of weeks ago and she's been cranking out an egg a day (one double-yolk!) and I can't wait for the rest of them to join in the fun. Somebody besides Della the Leghorn has definitely been exploring the nest box...

 

[countrygirl911]

hi everyone thanks for the advice i really appreciate it why not feed them medicated when they are older and laying it is hard to find flock raiser around here all i have found id chicks starter/grower and layer feed plus the oyster shells so if i give them the starter/grower feed and the oyster shells will that be ok for them or should i order the flock raiser off line