difference between chick starter & grower feed

[Gonzo]

what's the diference between chick starter & chick grower? I've heard conflicting things on how to feed the chicks (egg layers) I've heard keep them on chick start untl 17 weeks of age.. and I've heard give them the chick start until 6 weeks of age, and switch to a chick grower until 17 weeks of age. Which is right?

 

[Mikeeeeeeeeee]

gonzo&hispeeps :

what's the diference between chick starter & chick grower? I've heard conflicting things on how to feed the chicks (egg layers) I've heard keep them on chick start untl 17 weeks of age.. and I've heard give them the chick start until 6 weeks of age, and switch to a chick grower until 17 weeks of age. Which is right?

Been doing this for a while.

Starter until the bag runs out.
Grower until they look like they are ready to lay.

That makes it simple for me.

To give you an idea, I just got 25 comet pullets and 6 guinea keets.
I bought a 25 pound starter.
That will last a few weeks.
Probably 2-3.
Grower after that.​

 

[Gonzo]

okay, cool! will do that! I have some that are 4 weeks tomorrow, and 5 that are 6 weeks now. That makes it simpler! Thanks!

 

[Agape Builder]

Gonzo,

Probably the reason that you have heard multiple instructions is because of confusion as to what starter and grower feeds are. Depending on where you live and the feed available there, both sets of instructions are right.

Starter and grower feeds are different feeds in some places. Where you can purchase them separately, then start them on the starter and then switch to the grower like the previous poster suggested. However, in some places (like where I live in NW Florida), the feeds are not available separately (at least locally). All of the starter feeds are labeled as Starter / Grower, and the feed stores view these two as one and the same feed. In that situation, just use this feed from day one to the time they start laying eggs, at which time you will need to switch to laying crumbles or pellets.

 

[NorthernAZchickens]

Agreed.

Depending on the brand of food, both are right. Nutrena brand offers just the starter/grower that you use until layer. Another brand has a seperate developer for the inbetween time of 6-16 weeks.

Just look at your brands instructions.

 

[Judy]

Yup, only starter/grower is available here.

 

[AGardenParty]

Well I have sort of the same question but today I bought 100# of chick starter and when I got home I dug out my READING GLASSES and the stuff is medicated --okay fine but it says "Do not feed to Layers" Well I have two rescue layers mixed in with a wild Momma and her 10 chicks (I live where local wild chickens run free in town). I have been feeding them 1/2 pellets and 1/2 starter but I guess I have never read the other brands labels.
My question is do I not want to eat the eggs from layers eating medicated starter? Will it affect the outcome of my eggs? I have been having problems with the egg shells since day one.
One chicken lays a perfect egg and the other the eggs shells are thin to this last week possibly non-existent. The last 2 or 3 days there have been no "good' eggs at all. I was suspecting one had the bad eggs and the other the poor quality. I gave out some oyster shell the other day... thats when I started having "none". I am so confused!!

BTW the "Wild" Momma and the Rescue Leghorns seem to get along really well.

--leslie who is new to this and hopes renewing this thread will work as well as starting a new one.

 

[TheChickenKing]

I believe that adding greens makes the yolk more of a deep yellow colour and adding protein makes the egg shells harder, so increase the protein you are feeding to the chickens.

 

[ThePoultryGirl]

Quote:
AGardenParty, what your chickens need is oyster shell. You can buy it in most feed stores and the extra calcium in it hardens the egg shells, feed a handful to your layers either mixed in with their food, or if you give them cracked corn or scratch just feed it to them with that scattered in their pen, and you should see results in about a week.

 

[slagartist]

Uh, I think it depends on the manufacturer, but I could be wrong. I use locally made stuff here in Bellingham, and they have us using the chick starter until 8 weeks, then the grower until 20 weeks (or "when they begin laying"), before switching to the laying food. Or so the packaging and the supply guy claim.



If you think I could be doing different, let me know. I'm still new to this. But I got 10lbs of the starter for 6 chicks and at 3.5 weeks they were nearly through it, so I got another 10lbs and will switch to the grower when they finish it (likely close to if not 8 weeks of age). So, for 6 chicks they're gonna go through about 20lbs of starter before hitting 8 weeks.