Help! What do I feed this flock?

[McGill]

(3) 20 week old hens
(3) 17 week old hens
(4) 16 week old hens
(1) 13 week old bantam hen
(1) 13 week old bantam suspected rooster

No one is laying yet. They're currently getting an unmedicated chick feed.

The 20 week old hens show signs of beginning to lay soon, but no eggs yet.

Pic of bantams below

 

[igorsMistress]

Good morning. All flock, with oyster shell available at all times. The 20 week olds may or may not lay this winter, days are getting shorter.

 

[Folly's place]

x2!
Mary

 

[McGill]

Good morning. All flock, with oyster shell available at all times. The 20 week olds may or may not lay this winter, days are getting shorter.

If we decide to rehome the rooster, do we stick with chick feed with oyster shells on the side until they're all at least 18 weeks?

 

[igorsMistress]

If we decide to rehome the rooster, do we stick with chick feed with oyster shells on the side until they're all at least 18 weeks?

You can feed chick starter forever, but go with unmedicated. I like the All Flock because it doesn’t matter who eats it and it’s usually a bit higher in protein than the chick feed. No matter what you feed, even a layer ration, you should still keep oyster shell available at all times, some girls need more than what’s in the feed to lay eggs with strong shells.

 

[BeeJayBird]

You can feed chick starter forever, but go with unmedicated. I like the All Flock because it doesn’t matter who eats it and it’s usually a bit higher in protein than the chick feed. No matter what you feed, even a layer ration, you should still keep oyster shell available at all times, some girls need more than what’s in the feed to lay eggs with strong shells.

Hello. Interesting what you say about the chick feed, my hens are OBSESSED with it and I’ve been doing everything to keep them out of it. Maybe I shouldn’t worry so much?
Do you recommend a particular all flock brand? I really want to keep things as simple as possible and one of our new chicks might be a Larry instead of a Louise. I read that roosters need different feed
We have 3 four-year-old hens on DuMOR 16% Organic Layer pellet feed (access to oyster shell, but only one laying right now), and 6 (supposedly female) eight-week-old chicks who have been on DuMor Chick Starter/Grower 20% crumble feed (access to chick grit). They co-mingle now with the hens but cannot (yet) reach the layer food, whereas the hens can and want to reach their chick food. This is the food Tractor Supply recommended, but I'm only beginning to try and understand the differences in feeds and just hearing about All Flock feed. We only have these chickens for eggs and companionship. I am hoping I don't have a rooster. Based on some of my reading, I had planned to transition the chicks over to whatever the hens were eating around 17-18 weeks (always with their calcium on-the-side). Wondering now if I should think about changing the hen’s current layer feed to something different (or an all flock food) in anticipation of transitioning the chicks later. I really only have Tractor Supply for getting my feed. Brands they carry are DuMOR, Purina, Nature’s Best, Producer’s Pride, and Nutrena Nature Wise.

 

[NatJ]

Hello. Interesting what you say about the chick feed, my hens are OBSESSED with it and I’ve been doing everything to keep them out of it. Maybe I shouldn’t worry so much?
Do you recommend a particular all flock brand? I really want to keep things as simple as possible and one of our new chicks might be a Larry instead of a Louise. I read that roosters need different feed
We have 3 four-year-old hens on DuMOR 16% Organic Layer pellet feed (access to oyster shell, but only one laying right now), and 6 (supposedly female) eight-week-old chicks who have been on DuMor Chick Starter/Grower 20% crumble feed (access to chick grit). They co-mingle now with the hens but cannot (yet) reach the layer food, whereas the hens can and want to reach their chick food. This is the food Tractor Supply recommended, but I'm only beginning to try and understand the differences in feeds and just hearing about All Flock feed. We only have these chickens for eggs and companionship. I am hoping I don't have a rooster. Based on some of my reading, I had planned to transition the chicks over to whatever the hens were eating around 17-18 weeks (always with their calcium on-the-side). Wondering now if I should think about changing the hen’s current layer feed to something different (or an all flock food) in anticipation of transitioning the chicks later. I really only have Tractor Supply for getting my feed. Brands they carry are DuMOR, Purina, Nature’s Best, Producer’s Pride, and Nutrena Nature Wise.

The 20% chick starter/grower, with a separate dish of oyster shell, would be fine for all of them: the chicks, the hens, the rooster, and any other chickens you may have in the future.

Nutritionally, all flock and chick starter tend to be pretty similar. Read the nutrition information on the bag if you want to know for sure, but you can probably use any chick starter or any all-flock type feed from any of the brands you name.

When choosing a feed for a mixed flock, the big difference to watch out for is calcium. Layer feed has about 3% to 4% calcium. That is too much for non-layers (like roosters and chicks.) Most other feeds have about 1% calcium, give or take a bit, which is a safe level for all chickens. That is what you should find in chick starter, all flock, and probably quite a few other feeds with various names.

Having a separate dish of oyster shell is a good way to let the laying hens get the extra calcium they need, while they eat the same low-calcium main food as any other chicken.

 

[NatJ]

I like the All Flock because it doesn’t matter who eats it and it’s usually a bit higher in protein than the chick feed.

For anyone reading this advice: check the labels on the bags available to you. It varies from one brand to another, and may change any time the company changes their recipe.

For an example of the variation, I just checked a few websites. Purina's website has their flock raiser at 20% protein while the chick starter is only 18% protein. Tractor Supply's website has Dumor chick starter at 20% protein, while Dumor All Flock is down at 17% protein. Also on Tractor Supply's website are chick starter and all flock from Nutrena Naturewise, both at 18% protein. And if anyone is reading this post a few months or years later, they will probably find that the protein levels have all shifted around again.

 

[Sally PB]

For anyone reading this advice: check the labels on the bags available to you. It varies from one brand to another, and may change any time the company changes their recipe.

For an example of the variation, I just checked a few websites. Purina's website has their flock raiser at 20% protein while the chick starter is only 18% protein. Tractor Supply's website has Dumor chick starter at 20% protein, while All Flock is down at 17% protein. Also on Tractor Supply's website are chick starter and all flock from Nutrena Naturewise, both at 18% protein. And if anyone is reading this post a few months or years later, they will probably find that the protein levels have all shifted around again.

Good advice! As markets around the world change, various ingredients may be harder to get/too expensive, and other (read: probably cheaper) ingredients substituted.

 

[igorsMistress]

Hello. Interesting what you say about the chick feed, my hens are OBSESSED with it and I’ve been doing everything to keep them out of it. Maybe I shouldn’t worry so much?
Do you recommend a particular all flock brand? I really want to keep things as simple as possible and one of our new chicks might be a Larry instead of a Louise. I read that roosters need different feed
We have 3 four-year-old hens on DuMOR 16% Organic Layer pellet feed (access to oyster shell, but only one laying right now), and 6 (supposedly female) eight-week-old chicks who have been on DuMor Chick Starter/Grower 20% crumble feed (access to chick grit). They co-mingle now with the hens but cannot (yet) reach the layer food, whereas the hens can and want to reach their chick food. This is the food Tractor Supply recommended, but I'm only beginning to try and understand the differences in feeds and just hearing about All Flock feed. We only have these chickens for eggs and companionship. I am hoping I don't have a rooster. Based on some of my reading, I had planned to transition the chicks over to whatever the hens were eating around 17-18 weeks (always with their calcium on-the-side). Wondering now if I should think about changing the hen’s current layer feed to something different (or an all flock food) in anticipation of transitioning the chicks later. I really only have Tractor Supply for getting my feed. Brands they carry are DuMOR, Purina, Nature’s Best, Producer’s Pride, and Nutrena Nature Wise.

I use Nutrena Naturewise all flock pellets, I’ve been feeding it for years, and provide oyster shell at all times. There’s a crumble available but I like the pellets, the little wild birds don’t seem to make off with so much. I’ve fed my flock unmedicated chick starter from Nutrena when all flock wasn’t available or when I didn’t feel like making crumble for the chicks.