Feed question

ChickN55

Hatching
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
7
Location
South Windsor CT
Hi I recently joined BYC after purchasing 2 hens from a farm; a black and buff both 5 months old.. farmer said keep it organic while local feed supplier recommend egg layer pellets. They have a huge run for 2 birds (I believe) and I give them worms/grubs occasionally. What is my best option and when will egg laying start?
400
Any advice would be appreciated.. Additional photos to come.
 
She's a pretty hen! And it sounds like she's well taken care of too.
smile.png


Chickens start laying at around 16-25 weeks of age. They'll start with small eggs at first, which are a lot of fun to find!
Either organic or layer pellets will work, but no matter which one is used I would suggest giving them some oyster shell, so you know they are getting enough calcium. Just leave a dish of it and they will pick through it. Make sure they are getting enough protein as well.


Welcome to BYC! And best of luck with your chickens.
thumbsup.gif
 
Thanks Gita for the advice! I can't wait for my first
1f3c9.png
1f44d.png
1f606.png

Here is a pic of my other
1f414.png


400

Can you tell if she is older than my buff? Or is that the breed
 
She is gorgeous too! I can't wait to have my first Black Giant grow up. I don't have any pure black chickens right now and I'm looking forward to it.

They look similar in age. What breed is she? Is she a Black Giant or an Australorp?
 
You can feed organic, but I don't find it worth it. According to Harvard as well as other esteemed universities, they can't find any benefits to eating organic in studies. Though, some people still find comfort in organic foods, and some studies show it's better for the environment, so it's your call.
Like GitaBooks said, oyster shell is a must, it keeps your hens from getting osteoporosis!
You have very pretty hens :) Good luck!


*Edit: Here is one of the articles I was referring to
It weighs the pros and cons
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the article torilovessmiles, I will certainly be looking into organic alternatives to save some costs. I just crush up the shells for them right?
Gita I don't know what kind of breed she is.. farmer didn't say
 
Thanks for the article torilovessmiles, I will certainly be looking into organic alternatives to save some costs. I just crush up the shells for them right?
Gita I don't know what kind of breed she is.. farmer didn't say
If you have access to a bunch of cheap or free oyster shells, I think crushing them up would work, as long as the pieces aren't too sharp. I have to buy crushed oyster shell from the feed store, but it's not expensive.
You could try posting the black hen in the "what breed is this?" section to find out if it's a Jersey Giant or a Black Australorp. I can never differentiate the two!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom