All this chicken feed stuff is getting complicated!

[ChickensRDinos]

Hi Woodlandwoman , I just saw your post after I posted for help. Sorry.
So I can feed all my chickens a grower feed for the couple weeks till my other chicks catch up and then feed them layer feed!
Thanks so much for your help!

Just add oyster shell for now. Wait until all of your birds are ready before switching to a layer. If you want you can stick with a grower + oyster shell forever.

 

[allieszoo]

I would personally just skip the layer feed altogether and have all the birds on grower permanently. Just provide a dish of oyster shell on the side for the layers to get when they need it. Layer is not good for younger birds or any birds until they start laying, and also not good for any roosters. Mine have never had layer feed and most of them all lay good healthy eggs daily. With lots of free-ranging and access to greens, bugs, and your table scraps, it will help keep your grower feed cost down too.

Ah! Thanks for this info -- I was just wondering about this today. Most of my hens will be layers, but I do have a rooster and will be adding to the flock and was wondering the best way to feed everyone.

 

[chickadoodles]

Thank you ChickensRDinos,
I do appreciate your help so much! I am very new to chickens and do want to take good care of them and make sure they get what they need out of their feed. I will have a 750 sq ft. run for just the hens. So they should have a nice area to find lots to eat as their are alot of nut trees around the coop and pen so bugs should be in good supply. I will start reading the labels next time I go get feed and go from there! It is nice to know that I can keep them all on the same feed!
Thank you for your help!

 

[missnu01]

I feed 20% flock raiser in the big coop...as chicks most of my birds get 27% game bird starter, or 24% chick starter...they stay on that til they are big enough to go to the big coop. There they will also get the flock raiser. We have 4 acres about half of it wooded that the chickens range in, but they won't go out in the rain or snow...so they have to have other food to eat. And I really like getting 6-7 eggs a day from 7 hens...
I was feeding laying pellets, but then I had some pre laying pullets in the main coop, so I had them another feeder of chick starter in the coop, but the hens were eating the chick food, but during the time they were eating the chick food their eggs were about half a size larger than they had been...so I switched everyone to the flock raiser, and everything seems to be going well.
You could try not giving them other food and only having them range, and just see how it goes...if your results aren't very good, then add some grower, or layer feed depending on what age the chickens are at the time

 

[chickadoodles]

I do appreciate everyone's help so much! I am very excited that I can feed them all grower feed so I won't have to worry about the younger ones getting to much calcium! I will also put out oyster shells once they are old enough to start laying. I am also hoping that when the get in the big run and they can eat more bugs and grass that it will help cut back on my feed. I am going thru 150 lbs of feed right now per month! And I have 37 birds under 2 months old. Is that abt. right for the number of birds or am I over feeding?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I do appreciate everyone's help so much! I am very excited that I can feed them all grower feed so I won't have to worry about the younger ones getting to much calcium! I will also put out oyster shells once they are old enough to start laying. I am also hoping that when the get in the big run and they can eat more bugs and grass that it will help cut back on my feed. I am going thru 150 lbs of feed right now per month! And I have 37 birds under 2 months old. Is that abt. right for the number of birds or am I over feeding?

Yup, that's in the ballpark of feed for that many young birds. With part day free ranging in summer adult birds will consume up to 1/4 lbs per day each. In winter with no free ranging it can reach 1/3 lbs per day. 37 adult birds @ 0.25 amounts to 275 lbs of feed per month.

I don't know if many of these birds are cockerels therefore freezer camp or all layers but with that many birds you should look around your area for a feed mill to purchase their poultry blend in bulk. A trash can will hold 100 lbs easy so you'd only have to make monthly trip and fill three trash cans for fraction of the cost of bagged feed. There are also people who've posted how they find other poultry people in their area and buy collectively. Group effort, one truck load every month or two and save big.

 

[chickadoodles]

Thank you EggheadJr, I have called around and asked our local feed mill if I could buy some feed from them and they told me I had to buy from the Co-op. I do have several roos that will go to freezer camp as soon as they get big enough. I do not believe there are any ppl around me that have any poultry! I have looked and have not found anyone for hours. We will get it under control.
Thank you!

 

[farm7743]

Thank you so much everyone!!! All the info has been so helpful!! I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to help me out. I think I will go along this lines of what missnu01 said with the flock raiser. THANKS AGAIN!

 

[ladymama]

Well this is my first entry into chicken world; I have 7 - 1.5 year old hens, get an average of 5 eggs a day; bought a 50# bag of feed in Dec.; I have used less than 10#; girlies are free range sun-up to sun-down; food is always available; no extra grit, no extra oyster shell; they seem healthy, but are they really? Reading all these entries made me wonder if I am doing my best for my girls.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

There are lots of different right ways to raise chickens. If you have the land for excellent free ranging then that is fabulous and I am jealous It is a great way to keep costs low. I think it is a good idea to also give feed for complete nutrition but it sounds like you are already doing that. Free range chickens don't need grit and if you are getting strong egg shells then they probably don't need oyster. If you are happy with they way your birds look health wise and your current production then I think you are doing fine. If you want to control what they eat more you can keep them shut in the morning with feed and free range later in the day but it you want a full free range diet then go for it and they can eat the feed when/if they want.