Layer feed?

[aoxa]

Quote:
The layer feed would be better than cracked corn!

You need to put them on grower.. Cracked corn is NOT good for them as a feed!

 

[Fred's Hens]

For mixed flocks, you can feed Starter, Grower or Raiser. It's all basically FEED. It all has only about 1% calcium Usually, the variance is only in the protein %, ie, 15, 18, or 20%. The layer feed is just like it except that it has 3% to 4% calcium ground right in. That high of calcium is not particularly helpful to young birds.

BTW, corn only has protein of 8% or so. No amino acids, no other minerals that growing, healthy birds need. It simply isn't a complete formula.

 

[JRchickchick]

It seems like I read/saw something this Spring where there was a girl recently who did a 4-H project, comparing chicks/pullets raised on Starter feed versus cracked corn. They weighed the chicks/pullets weekly I think, and after just a short time, realized that the Grower feed was so much better for the chicks, that they were so much healthier and BIGGER. Grower feed is a complete feed, not just one dimensional as with cracked corn. She stopped her experiment because she didn't want to harm the corn-fed chicks, and fed them grower just like the rest of them.

Cracked corn is good for a treat, to encourage (yah, like chickens need to be ENCOURAGED) the natural scratching tendancies, and I think to help keep them from being bored!

I feed my girls popcorn every day, to encourage them to come running back into the protected pen so I can close the gate to potential marauding raccoons in the evenings (knock on wood, none have braved the fence).

Good luck!

 

[chickenporter]

I have one laying and the others too young. If I give the laying hen medicated starter grower should I be concerned about eating the eggs?

 

[goldies99]

generally you start with layer feed at about 18 weeks.....thats when chickens can start to lay.....if you have different age chcikens you can mix the finisher
grower and the layer feed....giving all the chickens a little of what they need.......that way each chicken is most likely to get the nutrition they need!

 

[cmom]

I have some 16 and 20 week old pullets and I just put them in with some of my layers so now they have access to the layer feed but it shouldn't be long before they start laying. I usually wait until I get my first egg but I'm doing a coop shuffle so I needed to combine some of the birds and I didn't want my layers eating the starter/Grower.

 

[Chick1043]

Quote:
The layer feed would be better than cracked corn!

You need to put them on grower.. Cracked corn is NOT good for them as a feed!

Really? They LOVE it! And they're pretty big healthy birds..I'm only feeding them it because I have a couple hens mixed with pullets...

 

[JodyJo]

Cracked corn is not nutritional complete...they need chicken FEED...the cracked corn is LOVED, but then I love ice cream too!

I have a mixed flock, starter/grower with oyster shell on the side till my youngest reach POL, then all on Layer feed...that simple.

 

[JodyJo]

Quote:
I have read several things...you can eat the eggs...and no...soooo if I were you, try to find unmedicated, they don't need medicated after a few weeks anyhow....

 

[ThinkingChickens]

I had two sets of girls, one laying and one not. The younger girls refused to eat the grower anymore at about 18 weeks. I just let them eat the layer and now at 25 weeks I still have no eggs. Thus, they've been eating the grower much longer that I would have liked. I think it's good to offer the grower, even if they don't see to want it.