Grower Feed or Layer Feed?

[Libby2019]

Hello! My babies are 17 weeks old and my 2 Australorps are starting to get red faces and their combs and wattles are growing. I also have 2 EEs that are the same age. I’m getting to the bottom of my last bag of Purina starter/grower feed. I’ve been reading that you shouldn’t start layer feed until you get an egg. I’ve also read that you shouldn’t use layer feed if you give them treats and offer oyster shell on the side? I’m not sure what to do, what do you guys do?

 

[N F C]

I keep my girls on starter/grower feed with oyster shell offered on the side (in a separate feeder) until they are all laying.

That's just me...others probably do it differently.

 

[Libby2019]

I keep my girls on starter/grower feed with oyster shell offered on the side (in a separate feeder) until they are all laying.

That's just me...others probably do it differently.

Do you switch to layer feed once they’re all laying, then?

 

[N F C]

Do you switch to layer feed once they’re all laying, then?

Yes and I continue to offer the oyster shell too.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

I agree, I have 3 age groups together, I just watch the layers for calcium issues and feed a mush with oyster shells in it.

 

[Libby2019]

I agree, I have 3 age groups together, I just watch the layers for calcium issues and feed a mush with oyster shells in it.

So you feed grower to everyone?

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

All my chickens get flock raiser with separate oyster shells. I haven't noticed a difference in their eggs from when I fed layer.

 

[sealer39]

You can drive yourself nuts trying to figure out what feed to give to what chicken and when. I ended up with a mixed flock of production birds and duel purpose birds plus young chicks, old hens and a rooster. (This was not the original plan). I ended up going with Purina All Flock Raiser for all the birds with oyster shell and grit on the side. So far all my eggs have hard shells and all the chickens are doing well.

 

[Kiki]

You can and should switch them to layer type feed before they actually start laying.
Page 22 of this book is worth reading...the whole book is fabulous.
https://www.nap.edu/read/2114/chapter/4#22

 

[Libby2019]

You can drive yourself nuts trying to figure out what feed to give to what chicken and when. I ended up with a mixed flock of production birds and duel purpose birds plus young chicks, old hens and a rooster. (This was not the original plan). I ended up going with Purina All Flock Raiser for all the birds with oyster shell and grit on the side. So far all my eggs have hard shells and all the chickens are doing well.

I know! And it all contradicts itself!