All-flock feed vs layer feed, and brands!

[Ccort]

My girls are 16 weeks old and currently on Manna Pro chick starter grower. I'm reading that an "all flock" food should begin at 18 weeks. Other places, I'm reading that layer feed is the way to go. Would love opinions on this.

My confusion may stem from two places. First, from what the bags refer to as "grown" vs growing chickens. Is a grown chicken one who has laid an egg? Or something different? Perhaps a stupid question there?

Next, I have barred rocks, Easter eggers, and brahmas. My Barreds should be laying anyday now but my brahmas will still be a while. I take it this means I should seek out an all-flock type food? Please correct me if wrong.

Couple of notes...my chickens are primarily pets. It's still possible I have a roo eating this food too.

Last bit, I see great reviews for the Kalmbach brand of food but it's 47 bucks a bag online. Is there another reputable, healthy brand with a less painful pricetag that you recommend? Nearest farm store is 30 to 40 minutes.

 

[Folly's place]

Here we have chickens young and old, and roosters. We have been feeding Purina's Flock Raiser for decades, with oyster shell in a separate feeder for the actively laying hens. And I can get it within a month of it's mill date at the local TSC, so we aren't feeding old feed, ever.
See what's available at your nearby feed stores, and what's fresh by the mill date on each bag. Layer feeds are designed for actively laying hens who eat nothing else, and that won't be true for yours, at least not now.
Crumble or pellets are good, the seed type feeds will be best fed wet, because birds will eat the yummy stuff, and easily will unbalance their diet.
If there's a local mill who does feed, check it out too. It will be mash, because the pelleting equipment is expensive. And make sure it's got a good nutritional profile, and fresh mill dates. We used to have a local mill, but their feed wasn't so great.
There's no one best brand, it will depend on what you can purchase nearby. Shipping costs really add to the cost, and you won't be able to control that important mill date.
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

All flock can be fed at any age, technically, as it's formulated so that it meets the basic needs of poultry at any age. Only caveat I suppose would be chicks can't handle pellets as easily, so crumble is the best option if you have all ages from chicks to adults (past that, either is fine).

I feed hatch-to-hen (just another name for the same thing) from the start.

 

[AntiqueB]

I feed Purina organic starter grower crumbles. Because my girls are laying, I have a container of oyster shell always available. I think they know what they need, when they need it, so I have never fed layer to them. I also don't want them getting that extra calcium in the layer feed in winter when laying slows or stops, or when one goes broody.

 

[Ccort]

You're all helpful, thank you.
So with all-flock, I should have a separate container of oyster shells and grit, correct?

Also, should I do a slow transition if going from chick starter grower to all flock?

 

[Folly's place]

Have two separate containers, one for grit, and one for oyster shells.
When your chick starter is getting low, mix it with the new feed, so it's a gradual transition. I just add some new to the feeder when it's half empty.
Mary

 

[AntiqueB]

You always need grit, no matter what you feed. Free-choice oyster shell will never hurt, either. They won't eat too much.

 

[texsuze]

Ditto the other folks who've posted. I've fed Purina Flock Raiser for years. There might be other "all flock feed" manufacturers. I have a mixed flock of 11 week old pullets, one 5 y.o. hen and one 8 y.o. hen (still laying). Pullets are still getting their starter/grower/youngster feed in a special bowl, but are also starting to eat out of the FR feeder.

I have a separate little bowl of oyster shell, a separate bowl of chick grit for chicks, and we have a granite gravel barn driveway--chickens have free choice access to these supplemental calcium and grit sources.

When my girls are laying, I take their eggshells, rinse, air dry for a while, microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes, then crush them up into a variety of sizes and add to the oyster shell bowl.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I feed Kalmbach flock raiser crumbles with free choice oyster shell/egg shell and grit on the side. I get it from Chewy for $32 a 50lb bag. I just had a broody hatch chicks and I didn't have to change a thing. IMO it just makes things easier

 

[Iluveggers]

If there's a local mill who does feed, check it out too. It will be mash, because the pelleting equipment is expensive. And make sure it's got a good nutritional profile, and fresh mill dates. We used to have a local mill, but their feed wasn't so great.

I was curious as to why the layer feed we got from the local mill was crumbled! Any tips on getting it to fall through the feeder better? It tends to get stuck and we have to push our hand through the middle when we notice to get the food moving again.