Introducing laying pellets

[Wyatt0224]

Hello everyone! I have 16 week old silkies and I know I should start thinking about them laying however I also have 11 week old rir hens. I'm still feeding them all medicated feed, I know that I should be stopping that soon with the silkies. But when is it safe to do so with younger hens in there with them? Will my young rir hens get sick from unmediated feed?

 

[I Love Layers]

Hello everyone! I have 16 week old silkies and I know I should start thinking about them laying however I also have 11 week old rir hens. I'm still feeding them all medicated feed, I know that I should be stopping that soon with the silkies. But when is it safe to do so with younger hens in there with them? Will my young rir hens get sick from unmediated feed?

I'm assuming you mean unmedicated feed.
I would just keep feeding chick feed until the RIRs reach 16 weeks. It will not hurt your silkies, and that way you won't have to deal with feeding 2 separate feeds

 

[Wyatt0224]

Yes sorry I meant unmedicated feed. Would it hurt them if I started it a week or two earlier for them?

 

[Eric 2016]

I know that I'm setting myself up for criticism here, but I've fed chicks of all ages layer crumbles just to see how they do. They're always fine. I truly think that people over think feeding. I recently read a book on keeping ducks and you'd think you need to be a rocket scientist to keep ducks alive. I've learned a lot from watching hens take care of their broods, those chicks certainly don't get a strict diet. Keep it simple.

 

[Wyatt0224]

I know that I'm setting myself up for criticism here, but I've fed chicks of all ages layer crumbles just to see how they do. They're always fine. I truly think that people over think feeding. I recently read a book on keeping ducks and you'd think you need to be a rocket scientist to keep ducks alive. I've learned a lot from watching hens take care of their broods, those chicks certainly don't get a strict diet. Keep it simple.

Ok well thank you! I will certainly keep that in mind!

 

[Pendragonz]

Ok well thank you! I will certainly keep that in mind!

Wyatt, I'm certain I'll catch flack for this too, but the guy where I buy my feed has been selling feed for better than 30 years, and has 300 or so birds of his own. He told me that I can feed my 5 week old hen chicks layer feed. He says that all the hype is just the feed companies trying to sell more types of feed. He said it's all he feeds to his birds once they're old enough to go off the chick feed. Good luck with your birds.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Wyatt, I'm certain I'll catch flack for this too, but the guy where I buy my feed has been selling feed for better than 30 years, and has 300 or so birds of his own. He told me that I can feed my 5 week old hen chicks layer feed. He says that all the hype is just the feed companies trying to sell more types of feed. He said it's all he feeds to his birds once they're old enough to go off the chick feed. Good luck with your birds.

Ok thank you very much! I think I'll let the last bag of medicated feed run out and then I'll switch to laying feed.