How old does a roo need to be to eat the layer food?

[susanah]

May want to put a 14 week old roo in with laying hens. Can he eat the
laying food the hens are eating now?

 

[NottinghamChicks]

When you switch the pullets over to the layer is what most do. Technically he should not eat layer as the calcium is not healthy for a bird that is not utilizing it for egg production but they all seem to do okay on it. So approx 6 mo should be fine.

 

[Judy]

This is one reason I feed only grower or flock raiser, and offer oyster shell on the side. The young chicks and the roos have never touched the oyster shell when I have been in there, over a period of several months.

 

[PineLaneFarms]

good question i was wondering the same thing myself

 

[swampcat]

Quote:
So the layers just know to eat the oyster shell? If you end up with soft-shelled eggs, then what?


Sorry... I don't mean to hijack the thread

 

[southerndesert]

Quote:
So the layers just know to eat the oyster shell? If you end up with soft-shelled eggs, then what?


Sorry... I don't mean to hijack the thread

Yes they know.... There is also calcium added to most layer feed, but I still have oyster and egg shell available to them.