Feeding Roosters

[Love My Chickies]

My four babies are about 9 weeks old now and just moved to the coop. So far one is a cockrel, and 3 are yet to be determined.

It just occurred to me that layer feed is probably not good for roosters. I've researched some and find conflicting information. If I do need to feed them separate foods, how on earth is that managed? Seems impossible to keep them out of each other's feeds.

 

[sdm111]

They can be fed lay pellets. They'll be fine

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

I currently only have laying hens and I feed them flock raiser with oyster shell on the side. Other similar options are grower and all flock feed.

 

[Aapomp831]

You’re right that roosters shouldn’t have layer feed. If they’ve had it for a few months or so, they will be fine. It’s the long term build up of the excess calcium that can cause kidney issues down the road. As @RoostersAreAwesome said, switch to All Flock or Flock Raiser and offer free choice oyster shell on the side. Chickens know when they need the extra calcium and will supplement accordingly. Your rooster may be curious and experiment with it or even eat a little here and there and that’s fine ; they instinctually won’t eat enough to harm them. This will make your life so much easier if you ever decide to integrate new chicks or younger birds - even the chicks can have the All Flock or Flock Raiser right from hatch.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Yeah, Cockerels/Roosters don't need the extra Calcium, but if you do a web search, you'll find conflicting information, some sites say after 18 weeks old it's OK to feed them a Layers feed.

If you will free range your chickens a Rooster will eat mostly what he finds for his hens and eat little layers feed.
A predator will probably get your Rooster before excess Calcium.
If you won't free range or just for an hour or two daily like me, then it's better to not feed Layers feed to him.

I don't have boys in my two Flocks and I don't feed a layers feed, haven't for three years.
I prefer a feed with 18% Protein and 18% layers feed is expensive.
I feed a Non-Medicated Starter-Grower feed 18% after 10 weeks old.
It's cheaper than most All-Flock/Flock Raiser feed and way cheaper than 18% Layers feed.
I offer Oyster Shells separately. My eggs are fine.

If these are your first chickens offer Adult size Poultry Grit at 7 weeks old and Oyster Shells at 15 weeks old each in a separate container.
I raise chicks/pullets in their own coop pen and rarely get a soft shell egg when they start laying.
I'm raising chicks at this time. They are 7 1/2 weeks old.

You can see my hens in their pen. GC

 

[Love My Chickies]

Thank you!

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I started responding to this a few days ago, got called away from the computer, and just re-opened to see an awesome post from @GC-Raptor - couldn't say it better myself.

Of course I can't help but add to it. Nutrition is a much debated topic – and one I'm a little obsessed with. After starting with chickens 1.5 years ago, I fell down a deep chicken-nutrition rabbit hole. Mainly because with poultry vets being so scarce, disease prevention is paramount, and nutrition is a major piece of that.

Roosters barely rank when it comes to feed. In the big picture, many boys are eaten before you'd see the effects of excess calcium. However, we like a calm, protective rooster with each flock, and a good man is hard to find, so we want ours to live long, healthy lives. As such, we avoid the calcium.

You can't even find an all-flock in our area – just a bunch of layer or game feeds – so we drive to the next county or order an 18% grower online, with separate cups of oyster shell and adult grit on the side. Many people seem to skip grit, but it's a cheap way to prevent some sketchy health issues. There's also evidence (I won't find it right now) that easy access to grit reduces the amount of feed they eat, so I mix it right into their feed in case some birds don't think to visit the grit cup. If they don't need it, it's left at the bottom of the feeder. No harm no foul.

One note that the caloric content of a grower feed can lead to obesity, especially with breeds prone to it (Orpingtons, Brahmas, etc.). If this is a concern, the feed can be cut with high-nutrient ingredients like alfalfa meal. Cutting/mixing feed is a whole other rabbit hole.

How you ultimately do things will depend on your individual chicken-tending style and goals, like whether you're raising boys for meat or longevity, how much your flock forages, what breeds you have, yada yada yada. Thanks for posting a good question!

 

[neo71665]

Any bird not laying does not need to be fed laying feed. That includes female and males. The extra calcium will build up and damage the liver of both, even pullets if they are not yet laying.