Keeping chickens on grower feed vs. switching to layer?

[Sussex19]

Hey the (younger bird) grower says unsuitable for egg production or is that your starter? I wish I could get that feed... joys of a small town

When you follow that link, the stuff I use is the top one. That one doesn't say anything about being unsuitable, whereas further down the list is one that says that, and I think is more for ducks, although it is a bit confusing.

 

[everyday_farmlife]

When you follow that link, the stuff I use is the top one. That one doesn't say anything about being unsuitable, whereas further down the list is one that says that, and I think is more for ducks, although it is a bit confusing.

Oh okay that makes sense

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Two old posts of mine:

Regarding Layer Feed

General Feed Recommend

Now, having said, there are plenty of people who feed Chickens (even Roosters) "Layer" formulations, and never notice any problems. There are host of reasons for that related to individual chicken genetics, the breed generally, the time period over which they are kept, a lack of reference to a bird not impaired by excess calcium, and a lack of knowledge of what to look for on the part of the keeper. As a progressive pathology, until the buildup is quite severe there are few (if any) external signs and even the internal signs can be hard to discern w/o magnification. As well, many of the external signs (like gout) are frequently dismisssed as a routine sign of old age.

The benefits of higher protein formulations are relatively small - a couple percent increase in rate of lay, a couple percent increase in egg size, a couple percent improvement in speed of weight gain and final size, a couple percent improvement in mortality. But for the typical backyard flock, those differences while measurable, are not noticeable. A bird that would lay 250 eggs in a year may instead lay 255. Average egg weight increases about 1g. yes, one gram. Final bird weight may be an ounce or two heavier. Birds will be a little more resistant to illness and injury.

So why do I recommend as I do???? Because there is absolutely no down side to it, apart from a slight increase in price. and because the typical BYCer is not raising commercial birds under commercial conditions, with a commercial focus on maximizing economics.

 

[Brooks_]

Our hens have been on Purina Starter/Grower feed (they are 20 weeks). One of ours started laying today and we have planned to switch to layer feed. I’ve been hearing, however, that some people think it’s best to stay with the grower feed long term and just add calcium (oyster shells). I would love to hear some thoughts on which is really best for the health of my chickens. We only have hens (no roosters so all-flock isn’t necessary). Thanks in advance.

I would use the grower/all flock added oyster shell method. Even hens don't need all that calcium from layer feed all the time.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I would use the grower/all flock added oyster shell method. Even hens don't need all that calcium from layer feed all the time.

I keep a bag of 20% chick starter and a bag of 16% layer pellets. I normally mix the 2 about equal unless chickens are molting or its freezing cold. On those occasions, i would use the 20% chick starter more. I offer free choice oyster shells at all times. The girls only seem to eat it when they are laying. If i had a rooster i think i would do All flock and a side of oyster shells. Good luck everyone

 

[Debbie292d]

Two old posts of mine:

Regarding Layer Feed

General Feed Recommend

Now, having said, there are plenty of people who feed Chickens (even Roosters) "Layer" formulations, and never notice any problems. There are host of reasons for that related to individual chicken genetics, the breed generally, the time period over which they are kept, a lack of reference to a bird not impaired by excess calcium, and a lack of knowledge of what to look for on the part of the keeper. As a progressive pathology, until the buildup is quite severe there are few (if any) external signs and even the internal signs can be hard to discern w/o magnification. As well, many of the external signs (like gout) are frequently dismisssed as a routine sign of old age.

The benefits of higher protein formulations are relatively small - a couple percent increase in rate of lay, a couple percent increase in egg size, a couple percent improvement in speed of weight gain and final size, a couple percent improvement in mortality. But for the typical backyard flock, those differences while measurable, are not noticeable. A bird that would lay 250 eggs in a year may instead lay 255. Average egg weight increases about 1g. yes, one gram. Final bird weight may be an ounce or two heavier. Birds will be a little more resistant to illness and injury.

So why do I recommend as I do???? Because there is absolutely no down side to it, apart from a slight increase in price. and because the typical BYCer is not raising commercial birds under commercial conditions, with a commercial focus on maximizing economics.

I wish I had known this last year, especially.

We've got the means to separate youngsters from the older ones until winter comes. Then we have no choice, as the temp coop is unsuitable for winter (Wisconsin). So I finally got smarter, I think. This year I'm buying/hatching early March, so by November, integrating isn't the issue it was last year with 11 five-month-olds. I mixed the grower with the layer, until the grower was gone (about a month or two), then back to just layer. So that year, the young ones got cheated. Now that I got smarter about having chicks only early in the spring, it should be okay. It has to be as I have 2 lg bags of Kalmbach Henhouse Reserve unopened. I haven't started it yet as they're finishing up the 16% layer yet, but that was my plan to quit buying all the supplements (rooster booster granules), sunflower seeds (they get plenty under our wild bird feeders anyway), 6-grain scratch, and solely feed them all that. The youngest birds would be about 8 mos. The all-flock feed idea, had I known, would have worked better for me in years prior, but now that I think I have the timing figured out better, the young ones get their grower until they move to the main coop where the layer is, and within a month or two should be laying anyway. These are all silkies/frizzles who free-range.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I wish I had known this last year, especially.

We've got the means to separate youngsters from the older ones until winter comes. Then we have no choice, as the temp coop is unsuitable for winter (Wisconsin). So I finally got smarter, I think. This year I'm buying/hatching early March, so by November, integrating isn't the issue it was last year with 11 five-month-olds. I mixed the grower with the layer, until the grower was gone (about a month or two), then back to just layer. So that year, the young ones got cheated. Now that I got smarter about having chicks only early in the spring, it should be okay. It has to be as I have 2 lg bags of Kalmbach Henhouse Reserve unopened. I haven't started it yet as they're finishing up the 16% layer yet, but that was my plan to quit buying all the supplements (rooster booster granules), sunflower seeds (they get plenty under our wild bird feeders anyway), 6-grain scratch, and solely feed them all that. The youngest birds would be about 8 mos. The all-flock feed idea, had I known, would have worked better for me in years prior, but now that I think I have the timing figured out better, the young ones get their grower until they move to the main coop where the layer is, and within a month or two should be laying anyway. These are all silkies/frizzles who free-range.

We learn by doing, and making mistakes. Its about the only way humans seem to learn.

Look at my sig. "Finding Success by Learning from Failure"

 

[aynesidea]

Our hens have been on Purina Starter/Grower feed (they are 20 weeks). One of ours started laying today and we have planned to switch to layer feed. I’ve been hearing, however, that some people think it’s best to stay with the grower feed long term and just add calcium (oyster shells). I would love to hear some thoughts on which is really best for the health of my chickens. We only have hens (no roosters so all-flock isn’t necessary). Thanks in advance.

When my heavy breed mixed flock didn't start laying in spring I switched back to grower and supplemented with oyster shell. Started laying and layed months longer into winter the follow year.

 

[David61]

I went to flock raise after my first 50lb sack of starter was gone. oyster shell on the side at point of lay, have been for years.
Start young point of lay birds on oyster shell @ 18 weeks.
Very young birds don't need to be eating it but point of lay do, no need to wait. Oyster shell takes a little time to get in their system. I put it out with some scratch feed to start with so they get clued in to the program. I put a little fresh out to last a week at a time.
I also boost 18 week old point of lay birds with mineral supplement manna calf pro and probiotic in water supply a few times a week.
I still add manna calf pro once a week to the feed.