Can my 9 week old girls eat layer feed?

[ShrekDawg]

Wow that's a lot of chicks and a lot of feed!!

I think using this bag up then switching to just grower if you can would be fine

And actually the roosters should maybe be on grower or flock raiser too or even hens not producing since when they don't produce the calcium builds up. But then again I'm assuming you've been feeding your roos the layer feed a while and they've been fine and my friend does too so I don't know hah

 

[Chic Rustler]

Yeah the plan is to get them all switched over to the grower crumbles. I like the 20% protein and i keep oyster shell in a feeder for them as well. I dont know what possessed me to buy layer pellets in the first place.

 

[junebuggena]

I've never bothered with layer feed. It just makes life so much easier to buy and dish out one feed that's safe for everybody.

 

[ShrekDawg]

That sounds like a good plan! And well, probably everyone saying they have to have it lol I believed it myself and still feed mine layer feed but I don't have roosters. If I did, I would feed Flock Raiser or starter/grower. I did switch to Flock Raiser for the winter when the girls weren't laying though. I forget what protein level that is but probably around 20 also.

I prefer to feed an 18% protein layer though as opposed to 16% because with treats and free ranging it brings the overall protein down.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I've never bothered with layer feed. It just makes life so much easier to buy and dish out one feed that's safe for everybody.

Yeah, good point.

I don't have roosters or baby chicks so for me I just feed an 18% protein layer feed but if I had a mixed flock I'd just feed one feed.

I did switch to Flock Raiser for the winter though after someone (was it you??) Had mentioned layer feed not being safe even for females who aren't producing.

But now everyone is laying so I'm going back to layer feed.

I could keep them on Flock Raiser but they're not the best about eating rhe calcium and I like supporting our local store anyway. I feel bad not having been in there so long.

Although they did stop carrying the feed I like, Hearty Hen by Nutrena (their NatureWise line), but they're starting to carry Poulin Grain and recommended a feed that's apparently just as good or better than it so I agreed to try it. I trust them and they actually know what they're doing there unlike TSC lol

Sorry for rambling on

 

[meetthebubus]

I don't think layer feed is bad for roos, unleash not for mine it hasn't been

 

[ShrekDawg]

Plenty of people have roosters that do fine with it, my friend being one, but I have heard that the calcium builds up in the body and can't escape because they don't lay so it can be bad for the kidneys. I guess with protein it just goes through them if they get extra but calcium supposedly builds up. But of course every rooster is different.

 

[junebuggena]

Some roosters are better able to handle high calcium diets. But just because a rooster seems fine, doesn't mean that damage to the kidneys isn't occurring. There are three nodes to each of a chicken's kidneys, for a total of six nodes. As long as there are two functioning nodes between the two kidneys, a chicken will be fine and show no symptoms that anything is wrong. Once a bird is down to just one functioning node, death usually occurs within 48 hours.

 

[meetthebubus]

Well if you research the net there isn't anything that says a roo can't handle it, it's supposed to do damage only as they grow not as adults, again you'll just have to decide what you believe or want to do but whether you think a roo is damaged or not the general consensus on what nearly everyone agrees to is that growing birds are in danger of calcium

anything else seems to be debatable on the subject

 

[junebuggena]

Do a search for avian gout and it's causes.