Can adults eat grower feed?

[Wissa38]

My chicks are now 8 weeks old and have been outside in their own pen for awhile. We need to mix the babies (6 of them) with our two adults soon for various reasons, and I'm confused about food.

I know I should transition the babies over to grower feed, but can my adults eat the grower feed as well. Basically whatever I feed them they'll both need to eat.

Only one of my adults still lays eggs (the other is the 9 year old matriarch who keeps everyone in line). Can I give her calcium in the form of oyster shell? What if the babies eat it?

I haven't had babies in years. Man, there is so much to re-learn!

 

[tjo804]

You could use a flock raiser blend. With oyster shell side dish.

I usually put a grower in as an option during molt times.
The extra protien helps with feather building.
I have not had issues with doing that.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I think people put too much emphasis on these labeling of feed..... it mostly just have to do with protein content percentage apart from 'layer' which has a significant amount more of calcium into the mix, but other than that it's mostly all based on protein percentage. Maybe some variables in other vitamins and nutrients but think about it, they are all labeled as 'complete balanced nutritional supplement' or whatever and will also say no need to add additional feed. I think 'grower' is around 20% protein content, which is a high protein feed and should be fine.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I feed flock raiser (20% protein and 1%ish calcium) ALL the time... because I always have chicks, juveniles, hens, roosters, molting, and broody's. I provide oyster shell free choice on the side for layers.

The chicks will sample the oyster shell but they won't consume excess amounts of it.

You can use unmedicated starter, grower, all flock, flock raiser... whatever you like. Those are all confusing term and different companies call their feed different things. The MAIN difference in ANY of them will be the PROTEIN and CALCIUM levels. That's it.

Won't surprise me if you even see some condition improvement in your layers if you are currently feeding 16% protein layer... and your hens will enjoy the little extra protein.

 

[Dancing With Chickens]

Yes, but not for to long. Since the grower feed isn't full of the calcium and proper nutrients for them, you should offer oyster shell to the hens. The calcium helps give strong egg shells. It's really not to big of a deal

 

[Mosey2003]

Absolutely. I never feed layer, everything on my place gets grower or meatbird grower. As long as there's oyster shell available, they can all have anything besides layer. Even medicated feed, provided the medication is only amprolium (most are, but I don't know if there are some areas that still use something different. The tag will say coccidiostat or amprolium). I wouldn't choose to feed medicated starter to adults full time as they simply don't need it and I'd rather they not have that thiamine inhibitor, but it won't hurt them to finish out a leftover bag one bit, there's not even any egg withdrawal.

 

[lazy gardener]

Not all growers are the same formulation. One manufacturer I checked offers a 16.5% and a 15% protein grower. I would not choose to offer 15% to any chicken for any reason!

My personal preference: I put the entire flock on unmedicated starter when I have chicks. (Oyster shell is always provided free choice, no matter what feed formulation I am using.) When the chicks are entering chicken puberty (voice change), I finish out current bag(s) of starter and then convert the entire flock to layer. Simply b/c the layer is easier on my wallet.

 

[CannedMonster]

I feed flock raiser (20% protein and 1%ish calcium) ALL the time... because I always have chicks, juveniles, hens, roosters, molting, and broody's. I provide oyster shell free choice on the side for layers.

The chicks will sample the oyster shell but they won't consume excess amounts of it.

You can use unmedicated starter, grower, all flock, flock raiser... whatever you like. Those are all confusing term and different companies call their feed different things. The MAIN difference in ANY of them will be the PROTEIN and CALCIUM levels. That's it.

Won't surprise me if you even see some condition improvement in your layers if you are currently feeding 16% protein layer... and your hens will enjoy the little extra protein.

This is exactly how I manage feed also.
The chicks will sample the oyster shell but it won’t harm them.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I feed flock raiser (20% protein and 1%ish calcium) ALL the time... because I always have chicks, juveniles, hens, roosters, molting, and broody's. I provide oyster shell free choice on the side for layers.

The chicks will sample the oyster shell but they won't consume excess amounts of it.

You can use unmedicated starter, grower, all flock, flock raiser... whatever you like. Those are all confusing term and different companies call their feed different things. The MAIN difference in ANY of them will be the PROTEIN and CALCIUM levels. That's it.

Won't surprise me if you even see some condition improvement in your layers if you are currently feeding 16% protein layer... and your hens will enjoy the little extra protein.

X3

 

[Wissa38]

Thank you for the advice! It's greatly appreciated.