Help with chicken feed! ASAP!

[kyeschicks]

Ok so today I went to my local feed store and someone recommended me to get chick starter for the first 8 weeks and then change to chick grower from 9 - 18 weeks but the problem is......that when I was looking for those 2 bags..... I couldn't find them! so then I saw this bag that said "Chick Starter/Grower" SOoooooooooooooooo wth am I supposed to do? can I feed them that for the first 18 weeks???? and another question..... can I feed my adult chickens "Layer feed" (including the roosters) for all their lifetime? I will sometimes give them snacks though

 

[Revelle]

My bag of starter feed says to feed 'em the starter/grower stuff until the first egg drops.

And I'd think that layer food would be the main food for the rest of their lil chickie lives, plus treats and grit.

 

[bigdawg]

i feed chick/ starter grower until the first egg appears. some people switch to grower then layer. hens that are laying and roos feed them layer feed. treats are good also.

 

[mstricer]

I use unmedicated Purnia Start and Grow for first 17 weeks then start mixing with Laynea for a week. At 18 weeks straight to Laynea

 

[cmom]

Starter crumbles up to 8 weeks.
or
Starter/Grower, until I get my first egg .

Grower Crumbles or pellets from 8 weeks until you get your first egg.

Layer from first egg on and free choice Oyster Shells. They will take what they want and need.

I use medicated Starter/Grower I feed it to the birds until I get my first egg then I switch over to Layer. If I have any Starter/Grower or Grower left over when I get my first egg, I mix in the leftover feed with the Layer feed. I have never had any problems. The amprollium in the Starter or Starter/Grower helps in the chicks development in their resistance to cocci. It is sulfa based. There is only a problem eating the eggs layed by the birds that have had the medicated feed when they start to lay if you have any alergies to Sulfa.

Also, as soon as my chicks are given anything besides Starter/Grower Crumbles they are given free choice chick grit and they choose it with pleasure. Scratch is a treat. I don't mix it with their feed. TSC carries Chick Grit with is finer than regular grit.

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Quote:
No layer for the roos.

 

[Airilith]

Quote:
No layer for the roos.

What do you feed the roos then? And how do you keep the roos eating their food, and the hens their own?

I was given to believe that you fed the whole adult flock layer pellets.

 

[dovecanyon]

I have the same question... how do you keep the roo from eating the Layer food? And, even if you could keep him from eating it, what do you feed him?

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Quote:
Put the whole flock on Flockraiser, offer oyster shell free-choice for then hens.

 

[jenjscott]

I cannot get flockraiser. I feed the whole flock laying pellets with a little 30% protein game bird starter to up the protein a little. This decreases the overall calcium, so I offer oyster shell free choice. Besides, even Purina says to switch to Layena for everybody at point of lay, not that I would. I keep my turkeys on a higher protein.