Chicks R 10wks today & out of starter feed. What to get??

[Swbertrand1]

We keep our chicks on starter feed until about 20-24 weeks...

 

[Aapomp831]

We keep our chicks on starter feed until about 20-24 weeks...

Do you offer them oyster shell on the side by 18 weeks?

 

[K0k0shka]

They don't ever have to eat starter feed. Or they can eat starter feed all their lives. It really doesn't matter, as long as they have calcium on the side when they approach laying age (oyster shell and/or crushed eggshell). The starter feed and flock raiser feed I've used have the same amount of protein - 20%, the only difference between the two is that starter is ground smaller. Which really only matters in the first few days, when the chicks are so small they may not be able to fit the larger crumbles into their mouths. But there's always ground up finer crumbles in the bag anyway, so they'll be fine. They can pick those out. I've used flock raiser when I've had a broody raise chicks with the flock. They did fine. Likewise I've had the flock on starter when there were chicks in the flock. No problem at all, they have calcium on the side. I find starter annoying because, being ground finer, it produces more dust, which the chickens don't want to eat. So there's more waste, unless I collect it and make a wet mash with it, which they love. I only use starter because I want it medicated against coccidiosis, and the only medicated feed available is starter. But as soon as they finish the first bag, I put them on flock raiser, no matter their age.

Bottom line: layer feed contains calcium, all other feeds are the same and can be eaten by anybody at any age as long as layers have calcium on the side. Check your protein content. If it's 18-20%, it doesn't matter if it's starter, grower, raiser etc. etc. - those are marketing terms. They don't make a difference to the chickens. I personally never use layer, because I want to let the chickens decide how much calcium they need. Their needs change - when they molt, when they're sick, when they're taking a break, in the winter, etc. They know best how much they need and when.

 

[Swbertrand1]

Do you offer them oyster shell on the side by 18 weeks?

No simply because they get enough calcium via other means, namely vitamins and crushed eggshells. We have offered it to them repeatedly, but they just won't eat it. We removed the last feeder full of it about a month ago - it sat beside one of their regular feeders and they never touched it.

 

[Swbertrand1]

They don't ever have to eat starter feed. Or they can eat starter feed all their lives. It really doesn't matter, as long as they have calcium on the side when they approach laying age (oyster shell and/or crushed eggshell). The starter feed and flock raiser feed I've used have the same amount of protein - 20%, the only difference between the two is that starter is ground smaller. Which really only matters in the first few days, when the chicks are so small they may not be able to fit the larger crumbles into their mouths. But there's always ground up finer crumbles in the bag anyway, so they'll be fine. They can pick those out. I've used flock raiser when I've had a broody raise chicks with the flock. They did fine. Likewise I've had the flock on starter when there were chicks in the flock. No problem at all, they have calcium on the side. I find starter annoying because, being ground finer, it produces more dust, which the chickens don't want to eat. So there's more waste, unless I collect it and make a wet mash with it, which they love. I only use starter because I want it medicated against coccidiosis, and the only medicated feed available is starter. But as soon as they finish the first bag, I put them on flock raiser, no matter their age.

Bottom line: layer feed contains calcium, all other feeds are the same and can be eaten by anybody at any age as long as layers have calcium on the side. Check your protein content. If it's 18-20%, it doesn't matter if it's starter, grower, raiser etc. etc. - those are marketing terms. They don't make a difference to the chickens. I personally never use layer, because I want to let the chickens decide how much calcium they need. Their needs change - when they molt, when they're sick, when they're taking a break, in the winter, etc. They know best how much they need and when.

Agreed on much of that! We were comparing feed contents among Layer Feed, 7-11 Scratch Grains, and Starter Feed a few days ago, and the primary difference (as I recall anyway) was the amount of Protein...