Feed question

[Lysmyk]

Best layer feed for soon to be laying hens. And can they finish off the medicated grower crumbles and still have suitable for human consumption eggs? We have about 10lbs left of the grower feed. Or do I just toss it and switch to layer feed?
hens are about 16 weeks old.

 

[wyochick10]

They shouldn’t start layer feed until they actually lay. Too much calcium can be bad. I would finish the starter but add a dish of oyster shell on the side. They will eat it if they need it. I use Purina All Flock feed year round. It’s good for babies-adults. BUT I am not sure about the medicated aspect. I would imagine it would be ok but hopefully someone else chimes in.

 

[GC-Raptor]

If the active ingredient is Amprolium in the Medicated feed. The eggs are safe to eat.
Info from Nutrena.

As for a feed brand, I like and buy both Nutrena Naturewise and Purina.
For an organic feed I like Nature's Best.
All are available at TSC.

When changing feed I like to mix 50/50 for a week.
So when you have 3 to 4 days of the chick feed left, mix it with the layer feed.
If you're switching to a Pellet, try tossing on dry ground with Scratch or Corn to get them interested.

Put out a container of Oyster Shells after 15 weeks old.
Myself I don't feed a layers feed to my hens. I feed a Non-Medicated Starter-Grower 18% or a All-Flock crumble with Oyster Shells separately. GC

 

[Folly's place]

I too feed everyone an all flock feed, with separate oyster shell, never a layer feed.
The amprolium in feed is okay for laying hens to eat, so just use it up.
Check at your feed stores for a feed that's fresh by mill date, so you can use it up within two months or so, and then decide which feed to use. Here there are several choices, and we use Purina Flock Raiser. Your freshest choices might be different, so look.
Mary

 

[neo71665]

I'm on the all flock with separate bandwagon also. I have a rooster and he aint supposed to eat layer so it's easier to feed them something they all can eat.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Finish the feed you have. It's unlikely (but not impossible) that they will start laying before you finish. I don't switch to layer until they start laying but this year I stopped giving them layer feed. In April I switched them all to a starter/grower feed due to chicks. In May I started feeding my laying hens feed for meat birds because my neighbor develops commercial feed for meat birds and gives me feed for free! I mix about 20 pounds of scratch feed in with the meat feed to lower the protein from 20% to 16-17% and supplement with oyster shells and egg shells for calcium. This is essentially an all-flock or grower feed. So far so good!

 

[Folly's place]

Why lower the protein level in that feed? What does mixing the scratch do to the total ingredient mix? Are other nutrients then deficient?
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Also, is the neighbor's feed mash, or whole grains? Mash and scratch grains, or all whole grains, won't mix well, unless you are feeding it all wet.
mary

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Why lower the protein level in that feed? What does mixing the scratch do to the total ingredient mix? Are other nutrients then deficient?
Mary

20% protein is quite high for a layer. If they eat more than they need they tend to drink more, have waterier poops, or can get fat which increases the risk of being egg bound. My hens free range and get lots of veggie scraps. The scratch grain contains all of the same grains normally found in feed so it has hardly any impact on nutrition other than taking the edge off of the protein amount. His feed is mash, and while the chickens do pick through the grains initially, they ultimately eat the mash too. I do use some of the scratch as actual scratch feed to call them to me. I wouldn't even do this at all if the feed wasn't free, but free is free. He's got a phd in poultry nutrition and said it'd be fine as long as they calcium so I've hesitantly followed his advice.

Without his feed, I would have switched to an all flock feed.

 

[neo71665]

I'm just jealous over free feed