Feed Question

[MPJ]

Of course I go fishing for a couple days and I get my first eggs when Im gone! Still very exciting to come home to the cutest little eggs ever. I have 6, hens and since my eggs are white, I know at least one of my leghorns is laying. I have 2 leghorns. The others will lay brown, blue and green so I know its not them. My question is can I now switch them all to layer feed and provide oyster shell? Will that hurt my hens that haven't started laying? Should I mix the grower and layer? They are 18 weeks old now. Thanks for any advice .

 

[Doc7]

I wouldn’t recommend using layer feed.


I use Purina flock raiser Mostly but I will purchase Any major brand that has the latest manufacture date when I go to the store (tractor supply).


The way I figure, more than half the year:
- you have chicks
- you have hens not laying due to daylight hours
- you have hens not laying due to molt (and this can be months and months of the year if you look at all the times any single hen is molting)
- You have a broody
- You might have a roo

I just see no reason to buy layer feed when any given day one of these factors could be impacting the flock and layer feed would negatively impact at least one bird. This is why I don’t even consider any feed but the most recent mill date Flock Raiser (any brand) with a can of oyster shell always present


That is a copy paste of another post I’ve made but basically, Feed all your chickens flock raiser from hatch until death

 

[MPJ]

Good advice! Thank you. So do you think I am ok with having oyster shell out now as well?

 

[Doc7]

Yes, a dish of shell and a dish of grit.

I found that I had to put shell out in the run and not just in the coop for my older hen to lay strong eggs shells, I don’t think she went to the back corner of coop often enough or something. Now I have it right on the run wall facing the house where they spend most of their day (looking for someone coming to let them out to free range!)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes put out oyster shell now.

As far as layer, it's your call. They're old enough that they should be ok if you want to switch over, or you can try a 50/50 blend, or if you don't want to switch at all, then don't.