Greystone farm
Songster
- Jul 7, 2020
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Hey there! I read an article a while ago about feeding laying hens grower feed with oyster shells/eggshells on the side instead of layer crumble because layer feed lacks the animal proteins needed for chickens to thrive as well as all-around diversity. I read that laying hens do best on 20% protein, but layer feed usually only contains 16%. Also, layer feed is almost always vegetarian, when in fact chickens are naturally omnivores.
Those are a few of the reasons why I switched my three lovely two-and-a-half year old hens to grower feed a few months ago with free-choice calcium supplements. However, I recently took in a five month old cockerel who now eats the same feed. This didn’t seem like a problem to me until someone at the feed store told me today that if my cockerel (his name is Banana) is on grower feed for too long, he’ll grow too fast and die prematurely.
So, do you think she’s right? Would it be bad for Banana (and my hens, for that matter) to eat grower feed their whole lives?
If not, what should I feed them—layer feed, or is that bad for Banana?
Thanks for any help!
Also, should I put my birds on organic feed? What are the benefits/downfalls?
Those are a few of the reasons why I switched my three lovely two-and-a-half year old hens to grower feed a few months ago with free-choice calcium supplements. However, I recently took in a five month old cockerel who now eats the same feed. This didn’t seem like a problem to me until someone at the feed store told me today that if my cockerel (his name is Banana) is on grower feed for too long, he’ll grow too fast and die prematurely.

So, do you think she’s right? Would it be bad for Banana (and my hens, for that matter) to eat grower feed their whole lives?
If not, what should I feed them—layer feed, or is that bad for Banana?
Thanks for any help!
Also, should I put my birds on organic feed? What are the benefits/downfalls?