Laying Hens Eating Grower Feed

[NekhilG]

Hello Everyone!

I am still learning the ropes of keeping chickens so please bear with me.

I have eight hens and some of them are starting to lay. I don't have any layer feed. Is it okay if they keep eating grower feed of a little while (I just got a new bag of grower feed). What happens if I don't switch them? Also should I keep giving the other hens who are not laying grower feed?

Thanks,

Nekhil

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It is ok. Many people only feed grower.
However it is imperative that you also provide oyster shell on the side in a separate container. It doesn't take very many eggs for a new pullet to use up all her available stores of calcium.

 

[azygous]

Unless you're a commercial egg producer, there's no need to ever buy layer feed as long as you supply oyster shell to supplement the calcium needs of your hens.

This is a convenient practice for those of us who keep a mixed flock - old hens no longer laying, roosters, and baby chicks every so often, in addition to laying hens. I've been feeding grower ration for the last decade, and it has worked out to maximize meeting the nutritional needs of the entire flock while making it convenient to feed just one ration to all of them. The grower ration also replaces the need for chick starter.

 

[leighks]

I have a mixed flock also, and everyone has done well with grower feed plus oyster shells on the side. All my layers have great hard shells.