Dumor Chick starter/grower? I'm confused!

[JoannJoyce]

You can feed the teenagers any thing!!! Other than layer, of course. The high calcium of layer is not recommended for pre-laying chicks.

Again, you can feed your 10 week olds starter, grower, finisher, flock raiser, anything. It's all feed and all acceptable. The protein will vary by product and the choice is yours as to what to feed them, at what price point.

Thank you for this comment. This is my first time with chicks and I was confused as well. I appreciate the advice!

 

[BeaBibby]

Ok...now I'm confused. I've been feeding Dumore Starter/Grower to my 4 ladies from the beginning to present. They're now 17 weeks old. I have not added grit at all to the feed. No issues with digestion, etc... They forage in the run and have fresh grown forage seeds that sprout to eat. Was I supoose to add oyster grit to the Dumore?

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Also using Dumor chick feed. Start a 50/50 Starter Layer mix at 16/17 wks with a lot of free range as in insects are emerging. Never really used the Grower because they grow on their own. Don't confuse yourself with all the manufacture's recommendation. Your not going to hurt the birds, they eat and don't bother to read the feed bag.

 

[NatJ]

Ok...now I'm confused. I've been feed Dumore Starter/Grower to my 4 ladies from the beginning to present. They're now 17 weeks old. I have not added grit at all to the feed. No issues with digestion, etc... They forage in the run and have fresh grown forage seeds that sprout to eat. Was I supoose to add oyster grit to the DuMore?

Assuming you are in the USA like I am:
"grit" is pices of rock. It stays in the gizzard to grind up feed.
"oyster shell" is a source of calcium. Hens need a lot to make eggshells. It may be actual shells from oysters, but may contain other things that also provide calcium to hens.

In other countries:
Labels vary, and I don't know them all. Some places say "oyster grit" where the US product usually says "oyster shell." The word "oyster" is usually a good tipoff that it provides calcium, not hard rocks for grinding food.

I would not add grit, oyster grit, oyster shell, or anything of the sort to the feed itself.

But I would provide oyster shell in a separate dish, so the hens can eat the amount they need. They are usually pretty good at getting the right amount. A starter/grower feed does not provide enough calcium for laying hens, so they really do need an extra source of it.

I don't know whether you need to provide grit (rocks for grinding food) or not. They may be getting enough from the soil in the run, or they may do a little better if you provide a separate dish of grit as well. If they seem healthy, I would say it's not a big deal to choose one or the other, so do what makes you happy in that respect.

 

[BeaBibby]

Also using Dumor chick feed. Start a 50/50 Starter Layer mix at 16/17 wks with a lot of free range as in insects are emerging. Never really used the Grower because they grow on their own. Don't confuse yourself with all the manufacture's recommendation. Your not going to hurt the birds, they eat and don't bother to read the feed bag.

Thanks. I was confused because of the previous posts talking about

 

[BeaBibby]

Thanks. I was confused because of the previous posts talking about grit.