This is my first time posting,but have been reading for a couple of weeks now. So far,I haven't seen a post on this yet. If this has already been discussed,please point me to the right post.
My neighbor has a couple commercial chicken house and gave me some of his new arrivals about 10 weeks ago. These are my first chickens,so I wanna do right by them. I read on here to start them out on starter food,then switch to growing food,then switch to laying pellets when they start laying. Well,I had them on the starter,then I switched them to grower. But I have to tell you,the growing food was smaller than the starter food,it was nearly power. Anyhow,about 2 weeks ago,the neighbor came over and told me that he had already switched his chickens to growing PELLETS. That they were big enough now for pellets. I know they are big enough...these big guys and gals will easily go 7 pounds right now. So,I was just about out of food and DH went to the feed store yesterday evening to get horse feed. I told him before he left for work,if they don't have growing pellets,just get the other growing food. Well,he came home and said they had the pellets. Went out there and looked,they were LAYING pellets. I told him I couldn't feed that to our chickens yet. He said the guy at the store said those were the only chicken pellets they carried. Of course hubby doesn't understand why they can't eat them. He thinks since they are so big,they can eat what ever. I know they could eat them(heck,they eat full size toads when ever they can catch them)but after reading on here,I know they are too young for the laying food.
So,now I'm wondering,do they even make GROWING pellets? I'm sure they have to,as that's what my neighbor was feeding his. But,can only the chicken houses get that food?
Also,I won't be able to get back to the feed store till this weekend(the closest one is 20 miles away)so,would it hurt my big guys to feed them this layer feed for 3 days,then switch them back to growing? Because if I can't feed them these laying pellets,they will have nothing to eat,but bugs and toads and such.
Thanks for any help you all can give me.
My neighbor has a couple commercial chicken house and gave me some of his new arrivals about 10 weeks ago. These are my first chickens,so I wanna do right by them. I read on here to start them out on starter food,then switch to growing food,then switch to laying pellets when they start laying. Well,I had them on the starter,then I switched them to grower. But I have to tell you,the growing food was smaller than the starter food,it was nearly power. Anyhow,about 2 weeks ago,the neighbor came over and told me that he had already switched his chickens to growing PELLETS. That they were big enough now for pellets. I know they are big enough...these big guys and gals will easily go 7 pounds right now. So,I was just about out of food and DH went to the feed store yesterday evening to get horse feed. I told him before he left for work,if they don't have growing pellets,just get the other growing food. Well,he came home and said they had the pellets. Went out there and looked,they were LAYING pellets. I told him I couldn't feed that to our chickens yet. He said the guy at the store said those were the only chicken pellets they carried. Of course hubby doesn't understand why they can't eat them. He thinks since they are so big,they can eat what ever. I know they could eat them(heck,they eat full size toads when ever they can catch them)but after reading on here,I know they are too young for the laying food.
So,now I'm wondering,do they even make GROWING pellets? I'm sure they have to,as that's what my neighbor was feeding his. But,can only the chicken houses get that food?
Also,I won't be able to get back to the feed store till this weekend(the closest one is 20 miles away)so,would it hurt my big guys to feed them this layer feed for 3 days,then switch them back to growing? Because if I can't feed them these laying pellets,they will have nothing to eat,but bugs and toads and such.
Thanks for any help you all can give me.
