Feeding 12 week pullets layer feed?

[melissamende]

Question from a new chicken owner: I just got 3 12(ish) week old pullets yesterday and I went to the local feed store (I'm in Chicago) before hand to get them food. The guy working there said they should be fine on layer feed and sold me that. But everything I've read said they should be eating grower feed until they lay their first egg and they person who sold them to me said they were being fed "all flock". Does it matter? Do I get the grower feed or just stick with what I have?

 

[Pyxis]

I'd switch to grower or all flock. Your pullets don't need more calcium until they're laying and the extra calcium in the food that they don't need can cause liver, kidney, and bone problems. Better safe than sorry.

 

[SueT]

Perhaps you can buy a small amt. of the grower feed since you have so few chickens. It could be 2 months before they start laying.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yeah, the key is that the excess calcium in Layer “can” cause problems with growing chicks. It doesn’t always but it’s good practice to not feed Layer to growing chicks. It’s not that one bite and they fall over dead. It’s a cumulative effect over several days and it depends on the total calcium they eat. If they are foraging for most of their food and not mostly eating Layer it’s less likely to cause a problem. That’s why some people can seemingly get away with it and some people will tell you it doesn’t matter to them.

I just consider it good practice to not feed them something that “can” cause a problem. Why take a risk unnecessarily?

 

[melissamende]

I'm also feeding them spent grain and scraps, so about how much grower feed would I need for 3 chickens to last until they start laying?

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Hi! Since you have a small flock, I would suggest getting 20 or 25 pound bags. Since they'll start laying in about 20 weeks, and pullets will eat around a pound a week before laying, for all 3 birds that will be somewhere around 60 pounds of feed total. You could get them grower feed, but I would suggest an "All Flock" feed because you can continue feeding them whatever is left over even after they start laying, and then you can choose to stay on the All-Flock or switch to layer feed if you choose to do so. Good luck!

 

[melissamende]

Hi! Since you have a small flock, I would suggest getting 20 or 25 pound bags. Since they'll start laying in about 20 weeks, and pullets will eat around a pound a week before laying, for all 3 birds that will be somewhere around 60 pounds of feed total. You could get them grower feed, but I would suggest an "All Flock" feed because you can continue feeding them whatever is left over even after they start laying, and then you can choose to stay on the All-Flock or switch to layer feed if you choose to do so. Good luck!

Well, I got 20lbs of Purina Start and Grow to mix with the spent grain. Unfortunately the feed store didn't have an "All Flock". Thanks for the advice!

 

[junebuggena]

I'm also feeding them spent grain and scraps, so about how much grower feed would I need for 3 chickens to last until they start laying?

Grower, all flock, or flock raiser type feed, and limit treats and extras to no more than 10% of their overall intake.

 

[melissamende]

Grower, all flock, or flock raiser type feed, and limit treats and extras to no more than 10% of their overall intake.

so I shouldn't do equal parts feed and spent grain?

 

[junebuggena]

No. You would just be diluting the amount of protein they are eating. They need that protein for growing in feathers (yes, they are still growing in feathers), and to fuel healthy growth.