Feed hen and roo

[Mamagirl3]

Some say roosters can eat layers feed and some say it is too much calcium for a roo and leads to heart problems and possibly death. Which is correct?
Additional salt/sodium same?

 

[Mamagirl3]

Confused now on how to post? Chose feeding and watering as place to post... then it posted in ""in the brooder"" ??

 

[FunClucks]

Do a search on here - there's lots of opinions about this topic. Basically long term it can cause health problems because of the elevated calcium in the feed that's designed for laying hens. How long until problems are evident? I don't personally know. But if you eat or cull your roosters around 6 months to a year, that probably won't be long enough to have these problems crop up. So it really depends on how long you plan to keep your rooster and how healthy you want him to be.

My two cents.

 

[Mamagirl3]

Do a search on here - there's lots of opinions about this topic. Basically long term it can cause health problems because of the elevated calcium in the feed that's designed for laying hens. How long until problems are evident? I don't personally know. But if you eat or cull your roosters around 6 months to a year, that probably won't be long enough to have these problems crop up. So it really depends on how long you plan to keep your rooster and how healthy you want him to be.

My two cents.

Thank you very much. Raised day old chicks .. 12 girls and 1 boy. They are 5 months old today. (Got our first egg saturday) had started layers pellets last week... but for transitioning we had mixed their crumbles in with it, today being first day all pellets. Then read rooster shouldn't have the layers feed. So ... this may be difficult to keep him out of their feed. Morning and evening I could feed the separate... but I have feed available all day for my girls. So I don't know exactly how this will work?
We have had chix off and on over our 43 years... but always took older chix that weren't premium Eggers any more.. and always had enough for us and because first time they got lots of POSITIVE attention I guess .. they always became loving and spoiled and lived being right with us when we were outside. A neighbor gave us a beautiful little rooster. And we never knew he couldn't eat with them... so he always did? But he was not ours bread like my boy now. This cockerel is a BIG BOY! hahaha. He already at 5 mos weighs 8 lbs and is 14 in tall... well may be bigger now.. that was 10 days ago! I really would hate to lose him because I fed him wrong!! He and I have a good bond... he will do anything for me... but when my hubby talks to him he gets really straight and tall and struts off while ignoring my hubby!! Haha. If hubs picks him up .. he is gentle and sweet.. but does show affection towards him like he does me! We love them all and that is why I have read so much this go around to try to do right for them all!!
Thanks again for your help! Still don't know how to get around this sight...

 

[Mamagirl3]

Do a search on here - there's lots of opinions about this topic. Basically long term it can cause health problems because of the elevated calcium in the feed that's designed for laying hens. How long until problems are evident? I don't personally know. But if you eat or cull your roosters around 6 months to a year, that probably won't be long enough to have these problems crop up. So it really depends on how long you plan to keep your rooster and how healthy you want him to be.

My two cents.

Tried to search in different ways, still don't come up with anything... can you give me the proper words to put in search to find this topic. Thank you!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

The easiest way is to feed an all flock/ flock raiser with oyster shell on the side, if you ever hatch chicks you don't have to switch feed, and it will not harm your rooster, everyone can eat the same thing

 

[kcan2]

Morning and evening I could feed the separate... but I have feed available all day for my girls. So I don't know exactly how this will work?

One idea would be to mix in the All Flock with your existing feed until the layer feed is gone, then buy All Flock from then on out. That way you don't waste feed, and the rooster would only be getting 50% or so of layer feed temporarily.

I, too, have a very important rooster, and did a lot of reading regarding this topic up front. Oyster shells (and grit) on the side are the way to go!

 

[FunClucks]

I second what kcan2 says above. Feed Flockraiser or All Flock once you're out of layer feed, with oyster shell and grit on the side. Thats the basic solution, although folks have variations. Also, you can feed their egg shells back to them. I like to bake them in the oven to kill any germs especially if I get eggs from any other source. But after baking, I crush them up, and then they can eat the egg shells like they eat the oyster shell.

As far as search terms I don't know, you might try "rooster, flockraiser, all flock, feeding, calcium for rooster, rooster feed?" Make sure you search the forum that deals with feeding, or you can navigate to that forum, and then run a search and tell it to search within that forum. There are links that the site suggests to similar posts on the bottom of each thread - I've found those to be super helpful, kinda stumble upon a lot of great related info that way. Also the What's New button at the top - someone asks this question off and on pretty regularly.

Good luck!!!

 

[TooCheep]

The easiest way is to feed an all flock/ flock raiser with oyster shell on the side, if you ever hatch chicks you don't have to switch feed, and it will not harm your rooster, everyone can eat the same thing

I agree with the general idea, but can chicks really eat whole pellet feed?

 

[FunClucks]

I agree with the general idea, but can chicks really eat whole pellet feed?

They make both pellets and crumble in the Purina Flockraiser I like to feed my chickens. You could try either or feed both, whatever works best, it's the same nutritional makeup regardless of form.