Help fixing feed situation

[MysteryChicken]

@U_Stormcrow, What's your opinion on this feed situation?

I know chicks eating high calcium feed, will end up with calcified kidneys. I remember this from the chick food recall.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well maybe if they eat it for months... but I have never seen a case of calcified kidneys. But a week? I don't think so.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Well maybe if they eat it for months... but I have never seen a case of calcified kidneys. But a week? I don't think so.

Yeah, a week is short term, so it's not gonna do much harm.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Could it have harmed them???? In theory. In theory, I could be struck by lightning while dodging a meteor in the next 24 hours.



Statistically, a week or so of higher calcium layer feed in a bird that's already completed the majority of its early growth cycle will, in all probability, show absolutely no ill health effects whatsoever for the rest of its natural life.

"The Dosage is the Poison" and here the dosage was both brief and not extreme. I'd give it no thought.

Honestly. For all that I recommend All Flock/Flock Raiser and free choice oyster shell for the typical backyard chicken person with typical management, I don't follow that advice myself. All my birds get 24% protein "game bird grower" for the first 5-6 weeks of life, then get transfered to a mix of local mill food at 18% to 20% (price dependent) protein I make by blending one bag of GBG with 1, 2, or 3 bags of Layer Feed with oyster shell on the side- meaning relatively early, my immature cockerels are getting up to 2.875% calcium in their feed. But none of my cockerels are anticipated to exceed 1 year in life, and most (all but my current breeder and his backup/replacement) will be culled between weeks 14 and 18 - so all of my male birds have recieved a higher calcium dosage in their brief lives than the original poster offered in a week of layer feed. Based on the inside of my birds, no ill effects for that dosage, over that time period.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

I’ve had to do this before with younger chicks. Ran out and happened to have layer on hand. However with my veterinary knowledge a short period of feeding the wrong thing isn’t going to cause any horrible issues. Just like humans it takes awhile to cause kidney/liver damage not just a week. All shall be well

 

[JustBabyMargo]

I don’t think there should be any problems whatsoever! Once our chicks were about 8 weeks old they started eating layer feed and they still do without any problems!

 

[Coops Dad]

Our hens are allowed to occasionally hatch out their replacements, and the littles tag along with momma and eat what she drops. Sometimes it's all flock pellets, sometimes it's layer pellets. We're on our fourth generation of layers like this and haven't had any overcalcified problems.

The chicks totally ignore the oyster shell tray.

 

[Mutchi]

Mt chiccks are five months old (I don't know how many weeks) and I have them on layer crumble, actually I had them on it for 1 month now and they are perfectly fine.

 

[neo71665]

Short term it's not gonna have any lasting effect.

Much easier to just feed all flock with oyster shell on the side just encase something like this happens you don't have to worry about it. Matter of fact I don't even feed grower. I just give baby chicks the chick starter for about 2 months then they get swapped to all flock. I never feed layer.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Short term it's not gonna have any lasting effect.

Much easier to just feed all flock with oyster shell on the side just encase something like this happens you don't have to worry about it. Matter of fact I don't even feed grower. I just give baby chicks the chick starter for about 2 months then they get swapped to all flock. I never feed layer.

^^^ and that's what I recommend, for the typical backyard owner. Or just all flock crumble all their lives. "No harm, all fowl" hahahahaha

Sorry all, I'm in an odd mood today.