Can I feed starter food to 5 month old buff orpingtons?

[JustSmurfie]

I ordered a 50 pound bag of organic starter food from henspa.com, I was planning on getting chicks but then changed my mind. I wanted to make sure to just get pullets (because of the rooster noise factor) so I am getting some 5 month old buffs. Can I feed the starter food to them? And if so how long can I feed it to them? Thanks for any info you can give me.

Here is the nutritional info:
Crude protein, minimum......................... 19.00%

Crude fat, minimum.................................2.00%

Crude fiber, maximum............................... 6.00%

INGREDIENTS: Organic Field Peas, Organic Wheat, Organic Corn, Fish Meal, Organic Oats, Organic Flaxseed, Organic Alfalfa Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate, Dried Organic Kelp, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, d-Pantothenic Acid, Niacin, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Iron Polysaccharide Complex, Manganese Polysaccharide Complex, Zinc Polysaccharide Complex, Copper Polysaccharide Complex, Cobalt Polysaccharide Complex, Yeast Culture, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Bacillus Licheniformis, Bacillus Subtilis, Lactobacillus Lactis, Enterococcus Faecium, (Dried Aspergillis Oryzae Fermentation Extract).

 

[Bailey1234]

At five months your hens should be of laying age and will need the calcium not present in chick feed in order to produce shell strenghth. That said, I wouldn't waste the food, I'd disolve some tumms in their water and offer yogurt or other high calcium products for them to suppliment the feed and sort of ballance it out along with plenty of green matter.
In my experience, when you order orpingtons as chicks they are sexed very reliably.

 

[Debi214]

Make sure you give them crushed oyster shell or if you are still buying eggs save the shells and crush them up really fine and mix them in with the starter feed. I like the tums idea too - I think I will try that for my pullets every once in a while. Thanks Bailey!

 

[JustSmurfie]

Thanks guys! I have some oyster shell on order so it should be here in a couple of days. I will make sure to mix some of that in with their food. I'm so glad 50 pounds of food won't be going to waste! Thanks so much!!