Feeding pullets of different ages

[DorothyBlancheandRose]

Hello Community! I had to rehome one of my flock when I discovered she was actually a HE, and ended up replacing the one (of three total) with two pullets (cuz you can never have enough chickens I’m learning quickly!) My older gals are around 2.5-3 months (I didn’t get an exact age when I got them) and my two new gals are 7 weeks. Do the young ones need to be eating starter food? I’ve read at 8 weeks you can switch them. The older gals are still on grower as only one has started to lay, so she gets oyster shells to supplement. And if I need to feed them different foods, how do you keep them from eating the other type of food? Thanks all!!

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

Hello Community! I had to rehome one of my flock when I discovered she was actually a HE, and ended up replacing the one (of three total) with two pullets (cuz you can never have enough chickens I’m learning quickly!) My older gals are around 2.5-3 months (I didn’t get an exact age when I got them as pullets) and my two new gals are 7 weeks. Do the young ones need to be eating starter food? I’ve read at 8 weeks you can switch them. The older gals are still on grower as only one has started to lay, so she gets oyster shells to supplement. And if I need to feed them different foods, how do you keep them from eating the other type of food? Thanks all!!

You could probably feed them all starter/grower. And then once they all start laying eggs I would switch over to layer or provide all flock with oyster shells on the side.

 

[Folly's place]

Mine all eat an all flock feed, with oyster shell in a separate container for the laying hens. It works fine here.
Mary

 

[DorothyBlancheandRose]

You could probably feed them all starter/grower. And then once they all start laying eggs I would switch over to layer or provide all flock with oyster shells on the side.

Starter and grower are two different types of food though. You mean mix them together?

 

[DorothyBlancheandRose]

Mine all eat an all flock feed, with oyster shell in a separate container for the laying hens. It works fine here.
Mary

Flock feed...? What is it called, like at the store? Sorry I’m kind of a newbie!!

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

Starter and grower are two different types of food though. You mean mix them together?

They sell starter/grower feed that works for both. It is normally sold online and at farm stores.

 

[DorothyBlancheandRose]

They sell starter/grower feed that works for both. It is normally sold online and at farm stores.

Ok, I’ve only seen them separate at farm stores around here (Oregon) starter OR grower. Apparently starter is 20% protein and grower is 15-16%?

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Here Purina's Flock Raiser, 20% protein, is always available fresh by mill date where we shop.
Every bag of poultry feed in the USA has a mill date on it somewhere, and it should be within a month, and used up within another month, if at all possible. Some brands have it marked clearly, and some have it in code (irritating!) in which case the store should have a 'translation' for you. I've seen feed as old as one year at feed stores, a very bad buy!
Mary

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

Ok, I’ve only seen them separate at farm stores around here (Oregon) starter OR grower. Apparently starter is 20% protein and grower is 15-16%?

I personally used Purina Start and Grow for my chicks, though a lot of other brands have seemed to do nicely. Normally grower has high protein levels then that, huh.

Nowadays, however, I use Purina Flock Raiser for all age groups. It contains 20% protein and I juts leave oyster shells out if there are any lying hens.

 

[Folly's place]

Look at what's available where you shop, and the mill dates, and pick something that's labeled for your birds, or for chickens of all ages, with good mill dates.
The problem with online shipping is both cost, and that you have no control over the mill date of each bag that you receive.
Mary