Do you feed your roos layer feed?

[aart]

I keep my feed bin mixed with 120lbs of All Flock Pellets, with 20lbs of Layer mixed in for the ladies. So everyone gets what they need.

Holy Many Buckets of Feed!
How many birds do you have?
Might not be enough calcium for your layers tho.......OS on the side.

 

[RoosterML]

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

I hear ya! I do my own mixture of 1/3 layer 1/3 grower 1/3 broiler. I don’t have to worry about any I’ll effects as they likely won’t be around for more than 3 years.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Holy Many Buckets of Feed!
How many birds do you have?
Might not be enough calcium for your layers tho.......OS on the side.

I keep eggshells, & or oyster shell available in case there's not enough calcium.

I have to do a recount now that we knocked the flock down a bit. We had 86 birds.

We're down to 79 birds.

 

[ackie]

I keep eggshells, & or oyster shell available in case there's not enough calcium.

I have to do a recount now that we knocked the flock down a bit. We had 86 birds.

We're down to 79 birds.

I accidentally had 80 birds at one point. Luckily they are pretty much all on starter. My hens were just prolific this spring.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I accidentally had 80 birds at one point. Luckily they are pretty much all on starter. My hens were just prolific this spring.

Ours have been laying better in the colder weather for some reason. Got 20 eggs a few days ago.
Really? How many do you have now? We'll butchering some more birds soon including our Thanksgiving Turkey.

 

[ackie]

Ours have been laying better in the colder weather for some reason. Got 20 eggs a few days ago.
Really? How many do you have now? We'll butchering some more birds soon including our Thanksgiving Turkey.

Hmmm chicken math. I sold 20, hatched 2, and lost 4 to predators. So 55?

I'm not actually sure if that's right.
28 in the front pen, 6 in the back, 3 roosters for sale loose, 2 roosters with names loose, and a handful of loose hens - at least 6, and the 2 random babies.

So... 47+

and 10 peafowl. 2 are chicks, 2 are hens, 4 are two year boys (tails next year) and 2 are full grown boys.

 

[ackie]

broken down another way:
9 roosters for sale
3 roosters with names (i.e. not for sale)
22 + 5 - 1 = 26 pullets for sale/keep/yolo
1 pullet not for sale
1 main alpha rooster + his 6 ladies (also not for sale)
& random loose pullets (sale/keep/yolo)
& 2 loose 'chicks'. one still peeps like a chick but i think the other ones past that, but still follows mama around. (also yolo)

chicken maaaath

 

[ackie]

(somehow the second math came out to 49+ instead of 47+ lol)

(nevermind the 47+ is right)

 

[MysteryChicken]

Hmmm chicken math. I sold 20, hatched 2, and lost 4 to predators. So 55?

I'm not actually sure if that's right.
28 in the front pen, 6 in the back, 3 roosters for sale loose, 2 roosters with names loose, and a handful of loose hens - at least 6, and the 2 random babies.

So... 47+

and 10 peafowl. 2 are chicks, 2 are hens, 4 are two year boys (tails next year) and 2 are full grown boys.

broken down another way:
9 roosters for sale
3 roosters with names (i.e. not for sale)
22 + 5 - 1 = 26 pullets for sale/keep/yolo
1 pullet not for sale
1 main alpha rooster + his 6 ladies (also not for sale)
& random loose pullets (sale/keep/yolo)
& 2 loose 'chicks'. one still peeps like a chick but i think the other ones past that, but still follows mama around. (also yolo)

chicken maaaath

(somehow the second math came out to 49+ instead of 47+ lol)

(nevermind the 47+ is right)

Yep, chicken math is fun . You have quite a few birds too.

 

[SulkyBantam]

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?

Uh-oh. I have been here before! Such controversy!

My roos eat layers and I have never had evidence of kidney damage as SO many people think. I'd really like to hear evidence for this. Who here can honestly say their roo has kidney damage from layers?

You can't stop a roo eating it unless you keep them separate, which personally I would not like to do. They will think it is a treat if you try to stop them and gorge on it.

Good luck with your decision!