6 months old pullets not laying yet

[bigz1983]

How long do your roosters usually live?

They live a long time. Never had any issues. I know a lot of people that give egg layer mash to their entire flock.

 

[junebuggena]

What do you consider to be a long time? A couple years? 5 years? 10?

 

[bigz1983]

5 years. Ok if you have a flock of 10 laying hens and one roo are you honestly going to give the roo separate feed? Common. Lol

 

[junebuggena]

5 years. Ok if you have a flock of 10 laying hens and one roo are you honestly going to give the roo separate feed? Common. Lol

The average rooster, fed appropriately, can reach about 8 to 10 years of age. You don't feed them separately. You feed them all a feed that is safe for everyone. You don't ever need to bother with layer feed is what we have all been trying to tell you. There is no magic ingredient in it. It's just got a lot less protein and a whole lot more calcium.

 

[bigz1983]

Ok I will look into what you all are talking about. But I think you guys are blowing this out of proportion a little..

 

[junebuggena]

Research avian gout in chickens. You will find a ton of info about the effects of excess calcium.

 

[Alecia Davidshofer]

That works with oyster shell, taking only that they need...but not the other things(they need to be portioned in proper ratio to regular feed), and the DE just gets all over everything and has no benefit by them ingesting it.

No DE for internal parasites for preventative and silica?

 

[aart]

Ok I will look into what you all are talking about. But I think you guys are blowing this out of proportion a little..

It just makes sense not to feed a high calcium level to non layers.
Half the year half my birds are non layers, plus the extra protein benefits the growing chicks, molting birds, and allows other foods/treats to be given without diluting the protein in feed.

No DE for internal parasites for preventative and silica?

DE does not kill internal parasites, nor does it prevent them.

 

[bigz1983]

How effective would artificial lights setup to a timer help the pullets come into lay?

 

[aart]

How effective would artificial lights setup to a timer help the pullets come into lay?

Not like flipping a light switch...haha!

Light addition should be ramped up slowly,
then it can take up to 6 weeks to have an affect.
Even then, it's no guarantee.
Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting.

Tho lighting will not make an immature pullet(not ready physically to lay) lay.