Chick feed to layer feed

Chick Starter/Grower (for chicks up to when they start laying eggs -about 20 weeks old give or take)

Layer Pellets or Crumbles (after they start laying)

 

Virtually every feed maker prints what is called a Feeding Chart on the back of the feed bags, or certainly, this information is available on their website. Different feed makers make slightly different products, so their feed charts vary a bit, but most follow the same basic outline.

Here is Purina's, for example. Just follow the feed chart of the feed maker you are choosing to use.

http://poultry.purinamills.com/OURPRODUCTS/FeedingChart/default.aspx

 

I fed Purina Flock Raiser to my chicks and ducklings (it's non-medicated) and switched everyone to Layena at about 16-18 weeks which I'm pretty sure is what the bag said. Now they are trying out Omega-3 Layena. Anyone else have experience with that one just out of curiosity? This is my first time trying it. I feed mine lots of kitchen scraps too (AKA veggie and fruit trimmings)

Once in a while they get other treats like yogurt, sunflower seed meats and mealworms which they go bonkers for. They will eat pretty much anything though....my Leghorn gobbled a mouse the other day before I could get it from her and my RIR tried to eat a sparrow once. They have been known to hop up and steal pizza, french fries, chips, cheese and anything else they can get off my plate. Little stinks.

 

Check out http://hilandnaturals.myshopify.com/. They have all you will need.

 

I did the chick starter, medicated, to starter non-medicated and recently (now 11 weeks) put them on the grower/finisher up until they are close to laying then i'll switch to layer feed. I forget the brand name of mine, I think its Ducor or Dunnor, i get it at tractor supply.

 

This might help ----



Quote:
Now with that being said a lot of people will feed a starter or a starter/ grower to there birds whole life with oyster shell on the side. I my self feed a good starter to everyone.


Chris

 

I'm one of those people who feed starter/grower their whole life to my Silkies because of the higher protein content.
I feed the layer pellets to my other laying hens.
For both I offer free-choice oyster shell in a separate container (a small chick feeder works well for this).


Quote: I've also fed the Layena Omega-3. I never noticed any difference in either my chickens or the eggs (I used it for about 6 months). And since it costs way more than the regular feed, I switched back to the regular feed. They also eat whatever kitchen scraps they can get out of the compost pile.