I've been a lurker :)

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Lyddiebits

Lyddiebits

In the Brooder
Mar 30, 2015
7
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14
PNW
Hello y'all :) I've been trying to figure out if I have two Ameraucana hens, or two EE. One laid an egg (just got them last night) this morning and it's almost white, cream color I suppose. So not an Ameraucana :) These two birds are in addition to 7 others that we have had for a year. 4 Barred Rocks, brown eggs, two silkies, small white eggs, and one tiny chicken who laid a few eggs in late summer and then nothing:) This is a great site and I've learned a lot from just lurking.
 
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We are just coming out of winter here, the two silkies that stopped laying during winter, have begun laying again, and my tiny chicken, did lay before, just not throughout the winter and not yet as we come into spring. My Barred Rocks lay all winter. I will call the feed store, but from what I understood, once hens start to lay, they should be fed layer formula, but that if they haven't begun to lay, because they aren't old enough, they should not be fed layer feed because there's too much calcium and can cause bone spurs, is that how you understand this? And thanks!
 
Hello
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and Welcome to BYC!
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Glad to have you join! Feel free to make yourself at home!
 
Lyddiebits said:
We are just coming out of winter here, the two silkies that stopped laying during winter, have begun laying again, and my tiny chicken, did lay before, just not throughout the winter and not yet as we come into spring. My Barred Rocks lay all winter. I will call the feed store, but from what I understood, once hens start to lay, they should be fed layer formula, but that if they haven't begun to lay, because they aren't old enough, they should not be fed layer feed because there's too much calcium and can cause bone spurs, is that how you understand this? And thanks!
Click to expand...

If all the birds are actively building egg shells, then by all means feed layer feed.
Layer feed is 4% calcium, other feeds are 1% calcium. A hen deposits about 2 grams of calcium in each egg shell. She can get that in large particle oyster shell.
Any birds not actively producing egg shells, those molting, on a winter break, young birds and roosters shouldn't be fed a diet of 4% calcium since the excess will be deposited in the kidneys, other organs and tissues.
That's why I posted the links in my first post so you can read the research and causes.

The recommendation is often to feed layer to pullets from about 18 weeks. However, that assumes one doesn't necessarily want their birds to live long term beyond the first couple years of egg laying.
 
Oh man, I hope I'm not killing her! Sounds like I am tho. I checked the sites you provided, and I knew not to give layer feed before they start laying, just didn't know til now, that when they take a break they shouldn't have the layer feed.
 
Chicken Canoe brought up a very good subject, that the rest of us overlooked RE; layer feed should NOT be given to hens that are not laying regularly or roosters.
 

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