Feeding Time

[Calima]

I have 2 BO & 2 RIR, all 17 weeks old, I'm still giving them start-n-grow.
I just noticed that the bag says up to 16 wks. They still have a half bagleft. Can I finish giving it to them. I did start them on grit last week, I offer it separately from their feed every other day and dried mealworms daily as a treat. What should I do as I want nice eggs with dark orange yolks?

 

[Percheron chick]

You can feed it forever with extra Ca on the side. Continue feeding it. When you get to the last 5-10#, start mixing in layer feed. They should all be laying by then.

 

[donrae]

By all means, finish the bag. Then, you can either change to layer, or continue the grower. You'll want to supplement some calcium if you don't use layer feed.

Dark orange yolks seem to come from leafy greens. You don't have many birds, so a handful or so a day should be enough.

 

[Calima]

So should I offer oyster shells as well and maybe collard greens, spinach, kale and lettuce daily also?

 

[sunflour]

Mine love the leafy greens, I cut them with herb scissors so they are bite size. Lettuce is mostly water and I offer it during summer heat.

Marigolds give the deep yellow yolks, they seem to prefer the leaves and don't care for the flowers, but love the seeds. Purina layer adds marigold to their feeds for this purpose. But I grow it just for them.

You really should transition them over to the layer feed by mixing the started with the layer feed - start with 1:4 mix and then 50% and then 75% and then 100 %. I would select the same form they get now, if on crumbles or pellets get the layer feed in the same form, makes for easy transition.