Feed types

[blucoondawg]

I am getting back into chickens after about 15 years, I have a question regarding feed. Obviously you feed chick starter when they are little, then stay with starter or grower until they lay then layer feed seems to be recommended. Though it says not to feed layer until birds actually lay as the high calcium can harm the birds kidneys, my question is if I switch to layer ration eventually is it safe for my 1 or 2 roosters to eat or will it damage their kidneys as they are not using the calcium to produce egg shells? Also could I feed something like All Flock and have a separate oyster shell feeder available for hens to pick at if they need calcium? Would this be detrimental to the hens as opposed to layer feed?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

A lot of people just don't worry about the roosters' health. Yes they technically shouldn't have layer feed.

There are quite a few people who feed Flock Raiser (I feed organic chick starter cut with grains, with grass available at all times for vitamins) and either mix in oyster shell or provide it on the side.

I always have to mix in my oyster shell or the shells get thin. You can try it out to see what works for you. The Flock Raiser is 20% protein and layer feed is 16% so you can cut it with some cheap grains to save money, but only if you take care to see that they get enough vitamins with green grass or alfalfa year round (the vit premix would also be diluted, in other words).

There is a school of thought that teenage female chickens should not have all that high of a protein level (17% rather than 20%) to prevent reproductive problems such as egg binding, etc. and thus grower feed is lower in protein. I mimic this by cutting with grains starting at 8 weeks or so of age.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/croysh5lb.html
1 lb per 20 lb feed is what they recommend if you do mix it in.

Don't forget grit if you provide whole grains, or access to soil by free ranging to get rocks from soil to digest the grains.