Feeding 16 week olds layer feed

[ehoneybee]

Is it really THAT harmful? I gave them grower fed up until this week when I ran out. Rather than buy some more, I'm wondering if I can just start them on layer feed. They are not laying yet.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Do you still have any grower? Depending on how many birds you have, you could mix layer and grower half and half at this age.
Commercial egg farms will start incrementing light period at about 16 weeks or more so all the birds in the barn will start laying at the same time. During that time, they will begin a pre-lay diet that is about 2.5% calcium so the birds approaching POL can begin storing calcium in their medullary bones.
4% calcium for birds not building egg shells, can damage kidneys. The longer fed a diet of 4% calcium without laying eggs, the more potential damage.
Your day length is currently decreasing by 2 minutes 45 seconds each day now. That is a signal the birds receive to their pineal gland that tells them to shut down and not produce eggs. So 16 week olds at this time of year may take many months to begin laying.

 

[ehoneybee]

Do you still have any grower? Depending on how many birds you have, you could mix layer and grower half and half at this age.
Commercial egg farms will start incrementing light period at about 16 weeks or more so all the birds in the barn will start laying at the same time. During that time, they will begin a pre-lay diet that is about 2.5% calcium so the birds approaching POL can begin storing calcium in their medullary bones.
4% calcium for birds not building egg shells, can damage kidneys. The longer fed a diet of 4% calcium without laying eggs, the more potential damage.
Your day length is currently decreasing by 2 minutes 45 seconds each day now. That is a signal the birds receive to their pineal gland that tells them to shut down and not produce eggs. So 16 week olds at this time of year may take many months to begin laying.

I have none but not a bad idea to give half and half. It's only 2 pullets, the rest are mature hens.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you provide oyster shell for the layers, you can give all the birds that 50:50 mix.
That way you have no concern for buying multiple bags of feed.

 

[ehoneybee]

If you provide oyster shell for the layers, you can give all the birds that 50:50 mix.
That way you have no concern for buying multiple bags of feed.

Does it come premixed?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Do you mean the feed?
If so, no. It is just commercial egg companies who all have their own mills that can fine tune the nutrients they feed their birds from day to day or week to week.
All we have as small holders is a high calcium feed (for layers) and all other feeds that vary in their protein levels but are all around 1% calcium for any bird not building shells.

 

[ehoneybee]

Do you mean the feed?
If so, no. It is just commercial egg companies who all have their own mills that can fine tune the nutrients they feed their birds from day to day or week to week.
All we have as small holders is a high calcium feed (for layers) and all other feeds that vary in their protein levels but are all around 1% for any bird not building shells.

I'll just get another bag of grower feed. I'm almost out of layer anyway. I've been supplying oyster shell the whole time

 

[thepick4uchicks]

Do you still have any grower? Depending on how many birds you have, you could mix layer and grower half and half at this age.
Commercial egg farms will start incrementing light period at about 16 weeks or more so all the birds in the barn will start laying at the same time. During that time, they will begin a pre-lay diet that is about 2.5% calcium so the birds approaching POL can begin storing calcium in their medullary bones.
4% calcium for birds not building egg shells, can damage kidneys. The longer fed a diet of 4% calcium without laying eggs, the more potential damage.
Your day length is currently decreasing by 2 minutes 45 seconds each day now. That is a signal the birds receive to their pineal gland that tells them to shut down and not produce eggs. So 16 week olds at this time of year may take many months to begin laying.

So I have 9 16 week olds. Are you saying that it will be several months before all of them lay their first egg? None will lay before the first of the year?

 

[ehoneybee]

So I have 9 16 week olds. Are you saying that it will be several months before all of them lay their first egg? None will lay before the first of the year?

They should lay, and throughout the winter, too.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

They should lay, and throughout the winter, too.

They should lay, and throughout the winter, too.

Good thank you. I ways really worried. That was going to be weird and a problem. Lots of work for a long wait. Thank you.