Leftover Starter Feed!

[TheFloralChickens]

My girls are coming up on 8 weeks! I’ll have lots of leftover starter feed. I hate wasting it so what does everyone do with leftover starter?

Continue feeding some/mix with grower feed? Throw it out? Save for next round of chicks - I’m not sure how long it’s good for?

 

[nuthatched]

Keep feeding it until you're out, it's good for them and not much different than grower.

 

[K0k0shka]

What's the protein percentage in each? Most of these labels are marketing tricks anyway, to make you think like there are all kinds of different feeds and you need to buy them all. Starter, grower, and a good overall flock feed are usually the same thing - around 20% protein. So they are interchangeable and it doesn't matter which one you use. The only feeds that are actually different in any relevant way is starter that's medicated (which is safe for the rest of the flock to eat by the way), layer feed that has extra calcium added to it, or niche specialized feeds like gamebird or feeds for quickly growing out meat birds, those have ridiculously high amounts of protein that aren't good for normal chickens.

Layer feeds (the ones with the extra calcium) often skimp on the protein and are on the low side, lower than what's best. They are optimized to give you the biggest bang for your buck if you have high yield production breeds that are used up within a year or two, so they give them the minimum possible protein without much thought for the birds' longevity or overall health. That maximizes the profit margin so the farmers pay as little as possible for feed while getting the maximum in eggs for a short period of time. If you want your chickens to live long and healthy lives though, you'll need more than that. 20% protein is best, and an all flock type of feed that doesn't have extra calcium added to it. Give them calcium on the side (crushed eggshell or oyster shell) so they can regulate how much they eat. They know best how much their bodies need.

What I do when I have chicks is I feed them medicated chick starter first (if the chicks are with the flock, I switch the whole flock to medicated starter). I keep them on it until it's been a couple of weeks since they've been outside, or until they finish the bag, whichever comes first. But they always finish the bag, no need to waste good feed. Then I switch them to 20% flock raiser, with crushed eggshell always available in a separate container. That's it. They don't eat anything else. I have several generations of chickens in my flock and they are doing great.

 

[TheFloralChickens]

What's the protein percentage in each? Most of these labels are marketing tricks anyway, to make you think like there are all kinds of different feeds and you need to buy them all. Starter, grower, and a good overall flock feed are usually the same thing - around 20% protein. So they are interchangeable and it doesn't matter which one you use. The only feeds that are actually different in any relevant way is starter that's medicated (which is safe for the rest of the flock to eat by the way), layer feed that has extra calcium added to it, or niche specialized feeds like gamebird or feeds for quickly growing out meat birds, those have ridiculously high amounts of protein that aren't good for normal chickens.

Layer feeds (the ones with the extra calcium) often skimp on the protein and are on the low side, lower than what's best. They are optimized to give you the biggest bang for your buck if you have high yield production breeds that are used up within a year or two, so they give them the minimum possible protein without much thought for the birds' longevity or overall health. That maximizes the profit margin so the farmers pay as little as possible for feed while getting the maximum in eggs for a short period of time. If you want your chickens to live long and healthy lives though, you'll need more than that. 20% protein is best, and an all flock type of feed that doesn't have extra calcium added to it. Give them calcium on the side (crushed eggshell or oyster shell) so they can regulate how much they eat. They know best how much their bodies need.

What I do when I have chicks is I feed them medicated chick starter first (if the chicks are with the flock, I switch the whole flock to medicated starter). I keep them on it until it's been a couple of weeks since they've been outside, or until they finish the bag, whichever comes first. But they always finish the bag, no need to waste good feed. Then I switch them to 20% flock raiser, with crushed eggshell always available in a separate container. That's it. They don't eat anything else. I have several generations of chickens in my flock and they are doing great.

Thank you for all the info!
The starter is 20.5% and the grower is 17% protein. Currently my plan is to keep them on grower (once they’re switched from starter) and just add oyster shells on the side when they’re old enough. Thanks again for all the info!

 

[K0k0shka]

Thank you for all the info!
The starter is 20.5% and the grower is 17% protein. Currently my plan is to keep them on grower (once they’re switched from starter) and just add oyster shells on the side when they’re old enough. Thanks again for all the info!

17% is low. I’d keep them on the starter indefinitely and add calcium on the side. You can offer the calcium at any time, and they’ll eat as much as they need whenever they start needing it. That way you eliminate the risk of offering it too late and their first eggs being soft shelled.