???? About mixing Flock & Feed!!

[NonnasBabies]

O.K. Here's my question.....

I have 3 hens & 1 roosters about 6 or 7 months old.. I also have 15-15 week old pullets.. I'm going to be putting the 15 pullets with the others in the next couple of weeks. I've read a few different things about when to start giving your pullets layer feed (Their still on chick starter). One was not to start feeding it to them until their laying or 18 or so weeks.. But if I keep them on the chick starter when I move them will it hurt my others to feed them the starter till I can feed them all the same feed??

Or is their something else that I can do??

Thanks a bunch!!
Missi

 

[ArizonaNessa]

You can start them on layer but personally I would wait til they are laying to give layer. You can feed your layers starter but I wouldn't eat the eggs because of the amprolium in starter. So what to do....if it were me I would look for Purina Flockraiser or a comparable product and use that until they can all be put on layer. That way you can still eat the eggs and no one is going to suffer from possible calcium problems. In that short amount of time your layers will not suffer from a drop in calcium as much as the pullets might suffer from added calcium. Just my thoughts....

 

[Akane]

Several of mine have started laying at 16weeks. It depends what breed you have and on the individual but a month earlier is not going to harm them. The risk in feeding layer too early is the excess calcium building up and causing organ damage over time. They are going to get ready to lay eggs before you actually see eggs so many just pick an age shortly before majority of their birds start laying on average and switch to layer then. The other thing you can do is get a non medicated chick starter, gamebird feed, grower, etc... and feed that with a container of oyster shell out for the ones that need it. None of those have too much calcium or medication. All my birds from chick to laying age get gamebird feed. It's easier. Especially when you have quail around to feed too. The extra protein does them no harm so long as you don't get the brands with really high protein levels, although some do feed the 28-30% stuff, and it's usually a better quality feed.

 

[NonnasBabies]

So basically I can switch over to the Purenia Flockraiser and feed them all that till they start laying?? And just keep putting out the oyster shell for my older ones!! Sounds like a plan...

Their Barred Rocks btw....

Thanks for the info!!
Missi