Do you feed your roos layer feed?

[ackie]

So I obviously have hens and roosters. Anyone under 4 months is penned and gets medicated chick starter, but the hens and roos are free range and all eat layer pellets (and bugs and weeds and whatever). Is this okay? If it's not okay, how would I even prevent the roos from eating it?

 

[DesertGrrl]

I wouldn't.
Layer feed will cause kidney damage and shorten a roosters life.

It's better to feed an All Flock feed instead and in a seperate container put out oyster shells for the hens.

 

[RevlisRemmah]

I do the All Flock for everyone and oyster shell on the side route. So far so good

 

[black_cat]

I do the All Flock for everyone and oyster shell on the side route. So far so good

If I had a flock with roos, this is what I would do.

 

[black_cat]

Wait a minute I had roosters once and I kept feeding them layer feed is this bad I did sell them off so they'll be getting better food if I was feeding them the wrong thing but I will be getting an incoming rooster and need to know something will they all flock food stop the layers from laying eggs or will it slow down protection or just keep up the laying I do have a food that's 17% layer feed and all the rest is vegetables peas and seeds including grains so will that work or do I have to buy a completely different food now.

All flock is better for roosters, because layer feed has extra calcium in it. That extra calcium is great to give hens nice, strong eggshells, but when it goes unused, it can cause organ damage over time. If you provide all flock or grower feed, everyone can eat it (hens, roos, chicks, teenagers), and you can provide oystershell on the side to give the ladies the calcium boost they need. If any birds don't need the calcium, they won't take it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Does that also mean that hens not currently laying shouldnt be on layer feed either?

Regardless of age and sex, a bird not laying eggs is not a layer.
Therefor, shouldn't be eating layer feed full time.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

yeah so I had previously thought there was just grower feed for meat birds and layer feed for egg birds, but obviously that's not the case.

There are all types of feed. The significant differences between them are protein percentages and calcium percentage.
All you have to do is read the instructions on the bag. Every manufacturer formulates their feed for a specific species, age and sex. They always have feeding instructions so one knows what birds the product is intended to feed.
As you noted, the most common are starter/grower and layer feed.
But there is a meat bird feed for broilers.
Starter/grower is for all young chickens 'starting' and 'growing'.
There are also game bird starter (usually 28-30% protein) and game bird maintenance feed (about 13.5 % protein).
There are also waterfowl feeds that usually contain more niacin.
If someone is going to raise any type of livestock, it is imperative they understand the nutrient requirements of their chosen species and find a feed that contains those levels.
Just because a chicken is a female, that doesn't make her a layer. When she is actively laying, she becomes a layer. When she is still growing or takes a winter break, she is not a layer because she isn't building egg shells - hence the increase from 1% calcium in all other feeds to the 4% in layer feed.

When in doubt, read the instructions on the bag.

 

[ackie]

Does that also mean that hens not currently laying shouldnt be on layer feed either?

 

[ackie]

Well cool I'll fix this problem next time I go to the feed store, though of course i just went

 

[ackie]

I had the same thing happen to me a few weeks ago, I went to the feed store and got layer pellets then same day found out roosters and non layers shouldn't eat them, after I finish these bags I'm planning on starting on all flock feed Luckily I'm already half way through.

Mine have all been eating layer from 4 months on for years, sooo a month or two longer will be fine.