Do you feed your roos layer feed?

[aart]

My roos eat layers and I have never had evidence of kidney damage as SO many people think.

..and your roos are how old?
It's not something that happens in a few months.

 

[SulkyBantam]

My current ons are quite young, but we have had much older ones previously and they were fine.

So, have your actually had kidney damage from layers?

BYT experts seem against layers feed in general! I would agree with them, but no one gives me any evidence to do so.

 

[Flockincrazy]

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?

I give my flock Countryroad All Flock and oyster shells on the side for my laying hens

 

[aart]

My current ons are quite young, but we have had much older ones previously and they were fine.

So, have your actually had kidney damage from layers?

BYT experts seem against layers feed in general! I would agree with them, but no one gives me any evidence to do so.

How old were your "much older ones"?
Did you slaughter them and know what to look for as far as kidney damage?

No, because my birds don't eat layer feed.

I have read dozens of reports of damaged kidneys and gout here on BYC.
As well as information from much more experienced keepers who know way more than I about poultry nutrition.

 

[SulkyBantam]

How old were your "much older ones"?
Did you slaughter them and know what to look for as far as kidney damage?

No, because my birds don't eat layer feed.

I have read dozens of reports of damaged kidneys and gout here on BYC.
As well as information from much more experienced keepers who know way more than I about poultry nutrition.

Oh NO, I never slaughter them..... a fox did, but I wouldn't DREAM of cutting the poor boy open!

My current ones are cockerels. They were mature roos.

Well, that's interesting. Before I came to this site, no one said anything about roo kidney damage. Worth a think..

 

[aart]

Well, that's interesting. Before I came to this site, no one said anything about roo kidney damage. Worth a think..

Not sure where you were hearing anything before coming to this site,
or how long you've actually had chickens,
But, yeah, always better to 'think' than just deny.

 

[SulkyBantam]

Oh, I wasn't denying it I was just not sure about the evidence for this statement, as I said to you

 

[U_Stormcrow]

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

(nevermind the 47+ is right)

This hurts me in the feels. and closely resembles my head count each evening as I feed them and close the gate. I've given up on counting the bunch, instead count by breed. and even then, I have to recount some days. Chicken math is HARD. Give me some engineering, some equations, you know, something Simple!

 

[Ebony Rose]

Chick starter can be fed their entire lives; or you can switch to a flock raiser and safely feed all members of your flock for life with it. Layer feed should ONLY be offered to laying hens as the daily calcium overdose causes health issues and shorter life expectancy of male birds and all juvenile chicks. A rooster or chick getting a nibble of layer feed here and there isn't the issue, the problem arises when they must eat the calcium fortified feed on a regular basis as their body cannot process it all fast enough to protect their internal organs from the damage that the overdosing causes.
Personally feel that a flock raiser feed "all flock" is the way to go, and you can grind that into a powder for the first week or two of a chick's life and add amprolium to all water that a newborn chick has access to during their babyhood, in effect, your own 'medicated' feed alternative.

 

[ackie]

This hurts me in the feels. and closely resembles my head count each evening as I feed them and close the gate. I've given up on counting the bunch, instead count by breed. and even then, I have to recount some days. Chicken math is HARD. Give me some engineering, some equations, you know, something Simple!

I don't count them every night I was at some point but that's a lot of work and I ended up stressing over birds that were safely roosting some where else (so many trees).