How long can I feed grower feed?

[Natalier]

Hi, I’ve just joined to post so apologies if I’ve not done this correctly!
My four hybrid girls are 17 weeks old and one started to lay lovely little eggs last week.
The other four have not, and one in particular has had very little comb and wattle growth in comparison to her sisters. Hers are still very pale pink and small (though she was always a bit behind the others in everything - feather growth, flying out of the box, tail growth) so I’m not worried yet.
However, I have 50kg of grower pellets, which we feed them daily, sitting in my garage. I didn’t realise how huge the bags were when we ordered!
Since our first egg arrived, we have been baking and crushing eggshells and offering them back to the chickens in their grit bowl, but we are aware that we should ideally switch over to layer pellets soon.
My question is, can I safely continue with the grower food I have, and offer calcium as a supplement? I’m happy to buy oyster shell or whatever is recommended, if these would work more effectively than egg shells.
The protein is 18%, 5% fibre and they get leftovers and corn as a treat.
Thank you

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Offer free choice Oyster shell, and use up that bag of grower. You will be fine.

Congrats on the eggs, my Comets are 16 weeks +a few days, no eggs yet.

Careful of too much extra corn, will throw the balance off on that commercial feed, but as you are at 18% and all layers, its not a huge concern. Most of the layer feeds I've found are 17% protein, so you have a buffer, and raising dinosaurs in the backyard is not an exact science.

 

[Natalier]

Thanks so much for replying, that’s great to know!
Hope your eggs arrive soon!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thank you, appreciate that.

As you can see from my Sig, I have a mixed flock, so I use "All Flock" and free choice oyster shell, because too much calcium can be a problem for some of my birds - so I will never switch to "layer" feed. Other, MUCH more experienced posters here than I also use an All Flock plus free choice Oyster, even with flocks of substantially or entirely all layers.

Don't be too concerned with the names. you are doing the right thing, reading the labels and asking the questions. and welcome to BackyardChickens!

 

[DobieLover]

Hi, I’ve just joined to post so apologies if I’ve not done this correctly!
My four hybrid girls are 17 weeks old and one started to lay lovely little eggs last week.
The other four have not, and one in particular has had very little comb and wattle growth in comparison to her sisters. Hers are still very pale pink and small (though she was always a bit behind the others in everything - feather growth, flying out of the box, tail growth) so I’m not worried yet.
However, I have 50kg of grower pellets, which we feed them daily, sitting in my garage. I didn’t realise how huge the bags were when we ordered!
Since our first egg arrived, we have been baking and crushing eggshells and offering them back to the chickens in their grit bowl, but we are aware that we should ideally switch over to layer pellets soon.
My question is, can I safely continue with the grower food I have, and offer calcium as a supplement? I’m happy to buy oyster shell or whatever is recommended, if these would work more effectively than egg shells.
The protein is 18%, 5% fibre and they get leftovers and corn as a treat.
Thank you

I would keep them on the grower or switch them to Flock Raiser or All Flock with multiple containers of oyster shell on the side. Layer feeds rarely have adequate protein levels and the excess calcium is only appropriate for active layers.

 

[AnnaE15]

Hi, I’ve just joined to post so apologies if I’ve not done this correctly!
My four hybrid girls are 17 weeks old and one started to lay lovely little eggs last week.
The other four have not, and one in particular has had very little comb and wattle growth in comparison to her sisters. Hers are still very pale pink and small (though she was always a bit behind the others in everything - feather growth, flying out of the box, tail growth) so I’m not worried yet.
However, I have 50kg of grower pellets, which we feed them daily, sitting in my garage. I didn’t realise how huge the bags were when we ordered!
Since our first egg arrived, we have been baking and crushing eggshells and offering them back to the chickens in their grit bowl, but we are aware that we should ideally switch over to layer pellets soon.
My question is, can I safely continue with the grower food I have, and offer calcium as a supplement? I’m happy to buy oyster shell or whatever is recommended, if these would work more effectively than egg shells.
The protein is 18%, 5% fibre and they get leftovers and corn as a treat.
Thank you

I switched to a pellet, laying formula type food as soon as I started getting eggs. (From my research it's what you're supposed to do , I'm a first time chicken owner lol) so they get their food and I also give them scratch grains (not too much tho) I now have 4 chickens laying and at least 2 of my ducks are laying. Most feeds have a age chart on them tho and when it's safe to give certain varieties of feed