Grower feed help-- anybody in CT?

[dtimms]

OK, why does everyone I talk to around here keep telling me that grower is only for broilers and not pullets? I think it's pretty clear from everything I've read both in books and on here that pullets can't just go to layer feed.

I've been told to start layer at 8 weeks by a friend who was told to do that when she first got started and "has never had a problem". The experienced woman at the feed store told me to go to layer at 12 weeks-- she treated me like I was crazy to want to give pullets grower.

Can anybody back me here? Is this a CT thing??? What do I tell the feed store I am precisely looking for (clearly they are not going to help me).

Anyone else shop at Back to Basics that can suggest what feed to go to when we're done with starter?

 

[Chris09]

I dont know why some say that Grower if for broilers... I am lucky in that the feed mill that I use will order the feed that I want....

I feed Starter from day 1 to 8 weeks
Grower from 8 weeks to the first egg
After the first egg they go on a Layer...

With that said starting after the fist of the year I will be feeding a Starter/Grower to all the birds all the time and doing away with the 3 kinds of feed.

Chris

 

[PurpleChicken]

Personally I think people get too carried away. My birds' diet was starter
until 6 weeks, grower until 12, and then layer from there. Now I just feed
all my young birds game bird feed until they reach laying or processing
age.

Blue Seal and Nutrena both have grower.

I'm in CT.

 

[dtimms]

So am I OK to do starter till 12 weeks, then layer from 12 on and skip grower all together??? So confused...

 

[EweSheep]

I use Grower and Layer not a problem. As for grower, its good for feathers while they molt or wintertime or raising chicks. You would have to add oyster shells free fed when they are on Grower if they are laying.

 

[dtimms]

Quote:
Hmmm... good point! I'll have to look!

 

[dtimms]

Quote:
Do you go straight from starter to layer? Or do you feel like using some grower in between is important?

 

[Chris09]

Here is the tag listing for the feed I use right now..
It is put out by Buckeye Feeds Mfg. and there isn't much difference in the starter and the grower (starter is medicated and 21% pro the grower is non-medicated and 20% pro.)

Starter:

Lasalocid 90.7 gm/ton
Crude Protein, Minimum 21.00 %
Lysine, Minimum 1.10 %
Methionine, Minimum 0.49 %
Crude Fat, Minimum 3.50 %
Crude Fiber, Maximum 4.00 %
Calcium (Ca), Minimum 0.70%
Calcium (Ca), Maximum 1.20 %
Phosphorus (P), Minimum 0.60 %
Salt (NaCl), Minimum 0.20%
Salt (NaCl), Maximum 0.70 %

Grower:

Crude Protein, Minimum 20.00%
Lysine, Minimum 1.15%
Methionine, Minimum 0.39%
Crude Fat, Minimum 3.50%
Crude Fiber, Maximum 4.50%
Calcium, Minimum 0.70%
Calcium, Maximum 1.20%
Phosphorus, Minimum 0.65%
Salt, Minimum 0.10%
Salt, Maximum 0.60%

Layer/Breeder:

Crude Protein, Minimum 18.00%
Lysine, Minimum 0.89%
Methionine, Minimum 0.37%
Crude Fat, Minimum 3.50%
Crude Fiber, Maximum 4.50%
Calcium (Ca), Minimum 3.00%
Calcium (Ca), Maximum 4.00%
Phosphorus (P), Minimum 0.55%
Salt (NaCl), Minimum 0.10%
Salt (NaCl), Maximum 0.60%

Now after the first of the year I will be feeding a this starter/grower to all the chickens (chicks, layers and breeders)..
Kalmbach Starter/Grower 1044

Crude Protein (Min.) 21%
Lysine (Min.) 1.20%
Methionine (Min.) 0.5%
Crude Fat (Min.) 3.0%
Crude Fiber (Max.) 4.0%
Calcium (Ca) (Min.) 0.7%
Calcium (Ca) (Max.) 1.2%
Phosphorus (P) (Min.) 0.7%
Salt (NaCl) (Min.) 0.2%
Salt (NaCl) (Max.) 0.7%

Chris

 

[dtimms]

Here's what's in my Poulin starter:

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (Min) 20.00%
Lysine (Min) 1.00%
Methionine (Min) 0.35%
Crude Fat (Min) 3.00%
Crude Fiber (Max) 5.00%
Calcium (Min) 0.90%
Calcium (Max) 1.20%
Phosphorus (Min) 0.60%
Salt (Min) 0.30%
Salt (Max) 0.40%

So it's similar... But their grower has much less protein than yours:

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (Min) 15.00%
Lysine (Min) 0.60%
Methionine (Min) 0.35%
Crude Fat (Min) 3.00%
Crude Fiber (Max) 4.00%
Calcium (Min) 0.85%
Calcium (Max) 1.05%
Phosphorus (Min) 0.60%
Salt (Min) 0.25%
Salt (Max) 0.35%

As does their layer:

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (Min) 15.00%
Lysine (Min) 0.70%
Methionine (Min) 0.30%
Crude Fat (Min) 3.00%
Crude Fiber (Max) 4.00%
Calcium (Min) 3.50%
Calcium (Max) 4.50%
Phosphorus (Min) 0.60%
Salt (Min) 0.25%
Salt (Max) 0.35%

And then there's this "egg production plus":

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (Min) 18.00%
Lysine (Min) 0.85%
Methionine (Min) 0.40%
Crude Fat (Min) 3.50%
Crude Fiber (Max) 4.00%
Calcium (Min) 3.75%
Calcium (Max) 4.75%
Phosphorus (Min) 0.60%
Salt (Min) 0.25%
Salt (Max) 0.35%


What's up with that??? My other option is Green Mountain Organic, but their website is down so I can't get their numbers.

I should add that my girls do look great though...

 

[dtimms]

OK, I just saw on another post going on that I can just stick with starter until we're ready for layer. Any disadvantage to doing this instead of fighting with the feed store that I want grower, and *yes*, it is for my pullets!!!