Layer vs grower

Mysterybirds

In the Brooder
12 Years
May 6, 2007
44
0
32
My gals are somewhere between 14-15+ weeks, can't say for sure as I didn't get them as chicks and the former owner was a little hazy on it. They look like little hens, they have rosy cheeks and combs, they make chickeny noises.

The trouble is that when I sent my husband out for their feed the feed store only had layer pellets available for organic feed. They convinced him that at 14-15 weeks it wasn't going to be a problem to give them layer pellets. Oh, it is a random group in terms of breeds: RIRs, red sexlinks, wyandottes and Jersey Giants (or is that giantesses).

My question is: will the layer feed be bad for them at this point? I don't want to mess them up but I also don't want to drive a distance to get the grower pellets if they don't need them at this point. I suspect I need to go looking for grower pellets. Can anyone tell me I'm wrong?

Thanks!
 
I dont know for sure, but i think they need to be on grower right up until you get eggs. I have a friend who put hers on layer too early and the eggs never came. The feed store had her put them back on grower and within a week they were almost all laying.
So i think it might be important.
 
You should start the swith over to layer around 17 weeks or when first egg arrives, chicks do not need the extra calcium in fact it can be harmfull when real youg, but I would think they are close enough to laying that switching them now should not hurt
 
I agree, a few extra weeks on layer feed instead of grower will not be a life altering event for them.

I usually switch around 18-20 weeks, and have had birds start laying at 20 weeks and one at 30 weeks.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom