How long do I feed them the starter

[stephen_tx]

I bought a 50lb bag of starter when I bought my 3 pullets, do I continue to feed this to them until it's gone or do I switch over to laying feed when they reach a certain age/size?

I don't really know how old they are (I forgot to ask). They are RIR and have all their feathers except 2 of them still have a little peach fuzz on their heads.

Stephen_TX

 

[Break an Egg]

When they start laying switch them over to layer, not before. Or you can keep them on crumbles and just provide oyster shell for x tra calcium when they start laying.

oh and

what part of tx are you in??

 

[arlee453]

If they are getting feathers in, but still have some fuzzy spots, they are somewhere around 3-5 weeks old (if you post a pic you could probably get a pretty good estimate from the folks here)

Keep them on the starter until either minimally 18 weeks, or until you see the first egg if you aren't sure of their ages.

 

[LynneP]

And be sure to check the label on the bag for the spoilage date. Starter crumbles age fast and spoilage can be a problem...

 

[Chirpy]

Is it just 'starter' or 'starter/grower'? If it's just plain starter, then you feed it until they are 9 to 12 weeks old and then switch them to grower. You would keep them on the grower until they start laying (around 20 weeks old) and then switch them to the layer feed.

If they are on starter/grower now, then the others are right...keep them on that until they are at laying age or lay their first egg.

Some places sell the starter only but most places seem to only sell the starter/grower.

 

[Akane]

So long as it's not medicated starter you can feed it until they start laying. Medicated starter shouldn't be fed too long because it interferes with absorption of a vitamin and I don't think your suppose to eat the eggs until they've been off medicated feed for so long.

They don't sell grower around here so when my chicks finish medicated starter at around 6-8weeks I'm switching them to a bag of nonmedicated starter until they start laying.

 

[stephen_tx]

Quote:
Just south of Dallas.

Stephen_TX

 

[cmom]

I use starter/grower feed until they lay the first egg then I switch to layer feed.

 

[Break an Egg]

Quote:
Just south of Dallas.

Stephen_TX

Oh cool, I'm from Burleson, south of Ft. Worth, now I'm in San Antonio but I still have family around there.

 

[All about the EGG]

We have 5 sex links. One started laying one week, then another the next, and so on...I just mixed the chic go and extra egg together,,,did not want to waste a good bag of chic go!