Help settle a debate about hens laying eggs ...

[MaLoTu]

Our chickens have not started laying yet. They are around 15-16 weeks old.

My husband's friend is insistent that we need to feed them a special food or have a rooster in order for them to lay.

I said that they lay and then you put them on the special food (layer feed, basically).

Who is right?

He also said that eggs cannot be organic if you feed layer feed ... I was just wondering if that is true.

 

[Toddrick]

You should switch to layer feed because it has more calcium. I don't think it affects the organic title, but that is probably dependent on where you live. Obviously roosters are not necessary to make eggs, and anyone who says that doesn't know anything whatsoever about chickens.

 

[azygous]

Your husband's friend is full of it. Ignore him. Follow your own common sense.

It is the best practice not to feed layer feed until after your pullets begin to lay, and even then, layer feed is unnecessary as long as oyster shell is provided free choice. Laying hens will get all the extra calcium they need from the oyster shell, and if you feed plenty of deep green, leafy veggies, that will boost their calcium intake even more.

If you research chicken feeds, you will find that there are organic feeds that will meet your needs, both in layer and all flock feeds.

 

[MaLoTu]

Thank you both for the responses. I couldn't find anything on a google search about the issue and I knew that someone on here was bound to know!
My husband's friend is full of it ... he insisted that my sex-linked pullets were roosters ... they are not! I will probably opt to feed them a layer formula, only because they are all the same age and it is only one thing to run out of, I mean feed, lol.

 

[Toddrick]

If they are over 16 weeks I think you are safe to switch them to Layers feed. Or, like Azyg said, keep feeding them the starter feed, and just give them crushed oyster shells on the side. I prefer to use pellets once they are big enough because the crumbles have so much dust in them that never gets eaten.

 

[MaLoTu]

If they are over 16 weeks I think you are safe to switch them to Layers feed. Or, like Azyg said, keep feeding them the starter feed, and just give them crushed oyster shells on the side. I prefer to use pellets once they are big enough because the crumbles have so much dust in them that never gets eaten.

I actually didn't know they made pellets, I agree that it would be better than the crumbles for the reason you stated. I will look into that in the next couple weeks here. Thanks.

 

[SammileeChickie]

I didn't feed layer feed till my chickens were 18 weeks there is organic corn free soy free layer feed out there, I have it for my chickens