I think I'm doing this wrong. New flock.

[406Jen]

Just picked them up yesterday. They're about 16 weeks old. I went to buy feed for them, and the dude at the store pointed to a green bag for "poultry feed"

They're too young for this, right? I mean - I assume this is the layer feed everyone talks about? It's for adult chickens. These girls have not started laying yet.

I texted the person from whom I purchased them, and they said they'd been feeding a mixture of feeder and scratch grains, in addition to some table scraps for treats.

Just give it to me plainly. Am I hurting the guts of these girls?

(3 pullets - 1 Black Star, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Jersey Giant. None of them like me yet.)

 

[Free Feather]

They should not be eating layer feed until they are already laying, and sometimes not even then. I like to feed a 20 percent protein grower and have eggshells out for calcium that they can eat when they want to.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Many layer feeds state to start between 16-18 weeks, so if you are right with their age it would be OK. Check the tag for the amount of calcium to be sure what feed you actually have.