Fed layer mash too early

[Goldiefishie]

I'm absolutely new to chicken raising... But the place I got the chicks from, they said to feed them medicated chick feed until 8 weeks, and then switch to layer mash. (He only carried chick and layer food)...

I just found out today that I should have gone to growers mash instead of layer. They're 11/12 weeks now and have been on layer mash for a few weeks (with some treats here and there)...

What should I do now? Switch to growers mash? (Where I have no idea where I can buy locally so I might try online)...or keep on layer mash and add other foods to offset it?

Please help

I also went back to the chick store and asked about grower mash, and again he was very adamant that layer mash at 8 weeks is the way to go.

 

[sunflour]

I would change back to grower/starter feed. Don't use layer feed 18 weeks old. The main difference is the calcium and they don't tolerate high calcium until older.

 

[sunflour]

You can use medicated or non-medicated starter feed til layer feed is needed.

 

[pdirt]

Sounds like a store owner who doesn't want to stock items other than those that are easy to sell. Use starter feed until they start to lay and have some oyster shell on the side. When most or all of them are laying, you then could switch to layer feed, or you could keep feeding starter with oyster shell on the side. Even with layer feed, having some oyster shell on the side doesn't hurt...they'll eat it if they need more calcium. Birds not yet laying or in molt won't eat the oyster shell if they don't need it.