Different food for different birds? SO CONFUSED!

[SandraMort]

I don't know how to manage to keep the layers, the roos that I plan to cull for the freezer and anything else I might need and can't think of all on different feeds. Is that why people use flock raiser? If that's the case, can I use flock raiser for everybody except the little chicklets?

 

[digitS']

I've started with a starter and switched to flock raiser before, Sandra. But, Purina says that Flock Raiser is, "A 20%-protein nutrient-rich ration that provides top starting, growing and finishing nutrition for a mixed flock of chickens, ducks and geese from hatch until laying age (18-20 weeks) . . ." (emphasis, mine).

Steve

 

[SandraMort]

OK, but what about mixed layers and roos? It says until layer...

 

[Chirpy]

I've been fighting with this same question. This question was asked here a few weeks or so ago and several people said that they'd used the flock raiser for their mixed flocks for years with only good results. That included their laying hens!

I just switched over to flock raiser for about a month until my chicks start laying and then I'm going back to layer pellets. My roos just eat what my hens eat.

 

[digitS']

In commercial breeder flocks, roosters and hens have the same feed. I don't see any reason to feed them seperately while young or old.

Feeding young chickens layer feed with its excess calcium wouldn't be good idea for either sex.

Steve

 

[Break an Egg]

Keep them on starter crumbles or starter pellets and also put out some oyster shell for the extra calcium for the layers. When they all get old enough, switch to layer pellets.

 

[suebee]

Keep them on starter crumbles or starter pellets and also put out some oyster shell for the extra calcium for the layers. When they all get old enough, switch to layer pellets.

Yes, that's what I do. When I hatch chicks, ALL the chickens get starter crumbles for 4 months, then I switch over to layer.
It's harmful for chicks to eat layer. They can't handle the calcium.
It's not going to hurt the adult hens to eat starter. Mine lay eggs normally.​

 

[Silkiemama]

We kept our chicks in a seperate (rabbit) cage in one corner of the coop until they were about 6 weeks - when we determined they were outgrowing the small cage. This made it easy to keep them on Starter/Grower food, and the adults on Layer feed. We let them all out into the yard to scratch for bugs and worms and eat grass as well. The starter food has more protein and minerals in it, to encourage healthy bones and muscles; but less calcium than layers require. Now we mix 50% of each kind of food into the feeder, because what was happening was the adults were eating the chick feed and the chicks were eating the adult food. They are all healthy at 12 weeks. We will switch them all to poultry layer at 18 weeks as directed on the label. We also supplement with some crushed up cereal (primarily Strawberry Mini-Wheats and Cheerios) in a small treat bowl, which they look forward to!