Feeding grow food to layers

[susilyne]

We have 14 pullets that are 16 1/2 weeks old. We just bought a 40 lb bag of grower food thinking we had another few weeks of no eggs.. surprise we have two that are laying daily. Can we start mixing the layer food in with the grower and use up the grower food? if the grower food is medicated can you eat the eggs. Thanks from a newbie and very excited chicken lover.

 

[mtnhomechick]

I think that would be fine.

 

[patandchickens]

Sure, I mostly feed grower, so the roo isn't getting deluged with too much calcium. Works fine.

In the long run you'd want to make sure they have lots of free-choice oystershell and/or crushed eggshell available, to meet the hens' calcium needs... for jsut a few weeks, for newly-laying pullets, I don't think it's any sort of problem at all. (Although you should *still* have free-choice oystershell and/or crushed eggshell available, even if you are ultimately feeding layer feed, just b/c not all hens have the same requirements)

Don't know about the medicated issue - *is* your grower medicated? (I'm not sure I can even buy medicated grower here). Cuz if it's not, moot point

Have fun,

Pat

 

[Charlene]

I would do some more research on the medicated food. I believe it has antibiotics. If that's the case then you might get low levels of antibiotics in the eggs. Probably not great, but also probably won't kill you. Check the grower feed and see what the medication is and then look it up on line.

 

[Judy]

Most of the time the med is amprolium which is not an antibiotic, it is a thiamine blocker. As far as I know the eggs are safe if the chickens are eating it. But do check he label; some have antibiotics.

Grower around here is medicated because it is "starter/grower," used from day one to point of lay.

 

[cmom]

I use medicated Starter/Grower I feed it to the birds until I get my first egg then I switch over to Layer. If I have any Starter/Grower or Grower left over when I get my first egg, I mix in the leftover feed with the Layer feed. I have never had any problems. The amprollium in the starter helps in the chicks development in their resistance to cocci. It is sulfa based. There is only a problem eating the eggs layed by the birds that have had the medicated feed when they start to lay if you have any alergies to Sulfa.