Best layer feed? Advice please!

[Rachel D]

Hello! My chickens are about to be 18 weeks and we just opened their nest box. They are finishing up their grower feed and we are shopping tomorrow for layer feed—so far we’ve just shopped around and picked their food kind of off hand but now that they’ll be on this feed long term I am looking for suggestions please let me know if you have a tried and true layer feed brand/type you recommend. We also plan to start giving them oyster shells—should I wait until eggs appear to do that? Thank you for your help!

 

[CluckerFamily]

It depends where you live and what stores are in your area. We have Tractor Supply about an hour away but the local farm store is about $3 cheaper than TS. Any layer feed will be okay. I have used pellets before but changed to crumble which the flock like best.
I normally put the oyster shells out as an option if I notice they need it.

 

[Suzz]

Hello! My chickens are about to be 18 weeks and we just opened their nest box. They are finishing up their grower feed and we are shopping tomorrow for layer feed—so far we’ve just shopped around and picked their food kind of off hand but now that they’ll be on this feed long term I am looking for suggestions please let me know if you have a tried and true layer feed brand/type you recommend. We also plan to start giving them oyster shells—should I wait until eggs appear to do that? Thank you for your help!

I like Purina Layena pellets I was using crumbles for a while but you get a lot of dust that leads to a lot of waste in my opinion

 

[neo71665]

I wouldn't swap to layer feed till they are all laying. Keep what you are on and give oyster shell for the ones laying. Giving hens layer feed when they are not laying is bad for the birds kidneys. Also bad for roosters.

 

[piminuse]

It really depends on how much $ you want to spend. We shell out for the organic and local stuff (Scratch n Peck) because it's always milled fresh and the girls seem to prefer the whole grain stuff as opposed to the pellets/crumbles.

Keep in mind you can continue on grower feed nd just offer oyster shell as a side dressing for the laying gals. Layer feed just ups the calcium layer and you can amend your own feed by adding shells.

 

[Schie]

I buy bags of whole grains and mix my own. It's cheaper and the hens love it cause it's so fresh! I don't know where you are located... there might be a local mill.. or I get my grains from Azure Standard.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I haven't fed a Layers feed in 3 years, but when I did I fed Nutrena Naturewise layer and Purina Layena.
I and my chickens liked both.

I still buy both brands of Starter-Grower feeds.
Medicated for 10 weeks then when bag is empty switch to Non-Medicated Starter-Grower and continue to feed that or a All-Flock crumble throughout adulthood with Oyster Shells offered at 15 weeks in a separate container.

I also like BlueSeal Home Fresh feeds. My mom fed her chickens and ducks BlueSeal for 35 years.
All three brands contain Pre and Probiotics.

I don't buy Organic feeds, but if I did, I like Nature's Best brand.
All of these are available at my Local TSC. BlueSeal's only available in a Layers feed at my TSC. GC

 

[Rachel D]

Thank you all so much for your advice! I like the idea of keeping the grower feed and adding oyster shells for the girls who are laying—I have a mix of breeds so some will start laying later and I don’t want them to have that excess calcium.. and they really like their current feed! Thanks so much

 

[azure_]

I use Green Mountain feeds

 

[Kiki]

Hello! My chickens are about to be 18 weeks and we just opened their nest box. They are finishing up their grower feed and we are shopping tomorrow for layer feed—so far we’ve just shopped around and picked their food kind of off hand but now that they’ll be on this feed long term I am looking for suggestions please let me know if you have a tried and true layer feed brand/type you recommend. We also plan to start giving them oyster shells—should I wait until eggs appear to do that? Thank you for your help!

The best feed is going to be what you can buy locally that is fresh...in a pellet or crumble where the birds can't luck and choose what they want to eat. PICKING AND CHOOSING, LIKE WITH WHOLE GRAINS, WILL MOST LIKELY CAUSE PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD. Start reading the threads in the emergency sections and pay attention to what types of feed the people use and you'll see what I'm talking about.