Any and all advice for a brand new chicken owner: I know NOTHING!

[StefneyRSA]

Hello Stefney, first of all your birds are beautiful. My advice is to try to be calm lol. It might seem silly but in the beginning it's very EASY to get overwhelmed. You're going to be a very great bird mom (and already are). Since you're just beginning I think a YouTube channel called "Welcome to Chickenlandia" would help you a lot. It's a channel focused on educating in a non-judgmental way and the lady who runs it is very sweet. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/@WelcometoChickenlandia/videos
Have a good one and happy chicken keeping.

Awww thanks for your kind response and the video link, I appreciate it!

 

[TooCheep]

I'll offer a different piece of advice. Please add your general location to your profile. Many answers vary based on location (seasons, products, climate). So having your location displayed with each post makes it easier for us to help you.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If I put only layer pellets in a feeder and offer grower feed and fowl grain in a separate feeder, will the laying hens be smart enough to eat the layer pellets while the cockerel and other non-layers don’t eat the pellets?

No.

Or is it better to just offer plain oyster shells? I struggle to find the oyster shells here, which is why I ask. But I can use Amazon USA it just takes a long time (6-8 weeks) to deliver.

They need calcium for the eggshells. It does not have to be oyster shell. They can get calcium from some of the plants and some of the creepy crawlies they eat. If your native stone is limestone they can get calcium from that. For some of us they get so much calcium from those sources that they hardly ever touch the oyster shell. Some flocks don't need any supplemental calcium. Your eggshells will tell you how you are doing with that. If your eggshells are firm you are golden. If they are thin or soft you need more calcium.

Many people feed their eggshells back to them. Eggshells alone are a losing proposition, they are not going to supply enough calcium for body function as well as eggshells, plus not all calcium is digested. Some goes on out of the back end. Still, a lot of people get enough calcium from other sources that feeding them their eggshells is sufficient.

Can you get crushed limestone about the size of a green pea or smaller? Some feed companies crush limestone and add it to their feed to supply calcium instead of using oyster shell.

Pretoria is a distance from the ocean but can you get hard shells you can crush? It does not have to be oyster or from the sea. There are two types of shell. The soft flexible parts that do not have significant calcium in it and the hard ones. The hard parts are hard because they are made from calcium. Snails, mussels, clams, lobster, crabs and such have shells that can work.

Also, I’ve been mixing equal parts 1:1:1 mixed fowl grain, layer mash/pellets, and grower mash for 2-3 weeks now…. Oops! Will that be enough to cause kidney damage? Or are they okay if I stop immediately?

Good question. You are probably fine. The tests that have proven that excess calcium can lead to internal organ damage are run assuming the level of calcium is the same as is in Layer. One bite will not kill them. It is eating excess calcium over a time period that causes the problem. Like many things on this forum dosage plays a part. High concentrates can cause problems. Low concentrate is much less dangerous. A certain dosage of a poison can kill you. A lower dosage can make you sick. A low enough dosage and your body won't even notice it. I know of no studies that studied any dosage other than the amount of calcium in Layer food and those assumed that layer food was all they eat.

The level of calcium that is dangerous is different for each chick. Not all chicks in those studies had any problems but enough did to show that excess calcium can be dangerous to them. I think you will be fine removing the Layer from the mix. Besides, what are your other options? I can't think of a better way forward.

 

[FrostRanger]

Wow!! Thank you SO SO much for the detailed response! What an interesting read!

So one of my pullets just laid two eggs last night, so I officially have a later! But of the 5 hens and a cockerel she’s the only one (so far) who needs layer feed then?

If I put only layer pellets in a feeder and offer grower feed and fowl grain in a separate feeder, will the laying hens be smart enough to eat the layer pellets while the cockerel and other non-layers don’t eat the pellets?

Or is it better to just offer plain oyster shells? I struggle to find the oyster shells here, which is why I ask. But I can use Amazon USA it just takes a long time (6-8 weeks) to deliver.

Also, I’ve been mixing equal parts 1:1:1 mixed fowl grain, layer mash/pellets, and grower mash for 2-3 weeks now…. Oops! Will that be enough to cause kidney damage? Or are they okay if I stop immediately?

I'd just keep everyone on grower mash and have oyster shells available on the side for anyone who needs it. Any attempt to have specific feeds out for different birds in a flock setting is hopeless as they'll eat from each other's feeders and possibly not eat the feed you want them to at all. Birds are going to do what they want to and not what you think they're supposed to do and there's nothing you can do about that. Considering you have a rooster, I wouldn't switch to layer feed at any point. I wouldn't worry about any issues from feeding them as you have been the last few weeks as long as they're on a proper diet now, they're totally fine. I would also cut out the fowl grain entirely or only offer it in small amounts as a treat a few times a month at most as they don't need it, it's basically just junk food for them, the grower mash should be enough for them