17 week 2 day old chickens...

[Panhandler80]

Regarding the layer feed.... Assuming the feed is fresh, can I do any harm to them by feeding 17.5 week old pullets layer feed?

You do have locks on the exterior nest box door, I hope. It's exciting, that first egg!
Here our pullets are twelve and fifteen weeks old, so we have a ways to go yet for them.
Mary

I have a barrel latch on left side, and one on the right. The don't "lock" per se, but they are very difficult to slide, and they need to rotated before they can slide. All of that would need to happen on both sides before a raccoon could drop have latches undone, and even then, the door wedges very tight and takes a good snatch to open.

 

[Folly's place]

Many people do feed layer feed early. It's a lot of extra calcium for birds who don't need it yet, but many people do feed it anyway.
And never underestimate raccoons!
Mary

 

[SnootyHen]

Regarding the layer feed.... Assuming the feed is fresh, can I do any harm to them by feeding 17.5 week old pullets layer feed?

Mine are a couple of weeks older than yours and still on chick starter because only 2 of the 7 are laying. I put out oyster shells separately and the 2 help themselves. It's kind of a cool extra indicator for when each might start laying because they have no interest in the oyster shells and then suddenly they do and a few days or a week later you find an egg.

I considered switching once the first was laying (just before 17 weeks) but did a little reading and found that the extra calcium isn't good for them if they aren't laying yet and using it up. So until all 7 are laying, I'm going to keep them on chick starter and oysters separate and then when they all get going, switch. I'm sure you won't be the first or last person to switch early so it's just a matter of how you feel about the extra calcium. The layer feed won't go to waste if you hold off and buy another bag of chick starter or all flock and a bag of oyster shells to leave out.

 

[Panhandler80]

Mine are a couple of weeks older than yours and still on chick starter because only 2 of the 7 are laying. I put out oyster shells separately and the 2 help themselves. It's kind of a cool extra indicator for when each might start laying because they have no interest in the oyster shells and then suddenly they do and a few days or a week later you find an egg.

I considered switching once the first was laying (just before 17 weeks) but did a little reading and found that the extra calcium isn't good for them if they aren't laying yet and using it up. So until all 7 are laying, I'm going to keep them on chick starter and oysters separate and then when they all get going, switch. I'm sure you won't be the first or last person to switch early so it's just a matter of how you feel about the extra calcium. The layer feed won't go to waste if you hold off and buy another bag of chick starter or all flock and a bag of oyster shells to leave out.

Very true.

 

[Panhandler80]

https://thisnzlife.co.nz/poultry-ex...t containing too much,to birds under 18 weeks.

 

[Panhandler80]

Well, yesterday I got some flock feed and filled up my two feeders with it, and then added a 5lb feeder with oyster shell this morning.

A lot of them have been hammering the oyster shell this morning. They'll be 18 weeks on Monday. Maybe a few are getting close! Couple in the red circle getting them some!