laying feed??

[6CHICKS141]

My chickens are 13 weeks now, and i started to run out of food so i headed over to the feed store, they gave me layer feed, but my chickens haven't started to lay yet! is this alright? i don't want to waste the food, but i haven't given it to them yet just incase.

 

[duckinnut]

Well IMHO it is a bit early to start them on layer. I would buy a small bag of grower to get them to at least 18/19 weeks before transitioning to layer feed. There will probably be people to say it is fine but wouldn't do it for my birds because of the calcium in the layer where as down the road they could possibly have complications from it. I would wait until they start showing some interest in the nesting boxes and their combs taking on a more reddish and less pinkish color. I have different ages and breeds and some started laying at early as 18 weeks and as late as 28 weeks. So it is up to you to make that decision,a couple days of layer won't do much harm so no need to run right to the feed store but personally i would get them back on grower/raiser/finisher type feed.

Also a friendly

from a fellow Massachickenholic.

 

[flewdacoop]

i would not has more calcium in it then they need and not enough protein in it. i would buy starter/grower and keep them on that till at least 18 to 20 weeks. just my two cents

 

[BoltonChicken]

i would not has more calcium in it then they need and not enough protein in it. i would buy starter/grower and keep them on that till at least 18 to 20 weeks. just my two cents

Double ditto.

 

[terryg]

Hens can eat chick food, but chicks can't eat layer food. Which means that if you buy chick or grower food, it won't go to waste. You can still feed it to your pullets. Just make sure that once they start laying that they have free-choice oyster shell (I have a photo of a nifty way to offer that here: http://hencam.com/faq/what-to-feed-your-chickens/). Mature hens can also make use of more protein, but if yours have access to a garden where there's bugs, or a compost pile, you don't have to worry about that until the chick food is used up -which should go fast as hens do eat a lot!