My rooster eats the same feed that all my other silkies eat and it contains calcium, is this ok to have?

[Bryce Thomas]

Someone mentioned that roosters eating layer feed is bad for them, and have never thought about this until now. Will my rooster Koa be OK? His poop is always normal, his eyes are always clear and he never has digestion issues

The feed is:

Purina® Layena® Crumbles​

and it contains 3.25% to 4.25% calcium

Also if it is bad can I just transition to a flock feed? I dont care about the eggs my silkies lay and I have like thousands of clam and oyster shells laying around thanks to living next to a canal that has clams in it and I can just hand feed my hens those clam shells that have been broken and stuff

 

[cavemanrich]

I have layers, and non-layers. No roosters. I feed my chickens Alflock, with 2% calcium. I offer cracked ouster shells free-choice. The eggs that are layed are just fine with my system of feeding. Many others here do likewise.
Your rooster is not going to keel over, and die, in the very near future, because of the layer feed. What does happen in a slower progression, is the roosters' kidneys, and liver work harder. They may fail way before his time naturally would lead him in life.
All my chickens are pets, and do live long lives. My current oldest is 9 years old. My longest living hen pulled 13 years. I must be doing something right.

You can dilute the roosters feed by giving him additional scratch now. That will make his diet at lower percentage of calcium.

Consider the Alflock feed, and I think you will be happy with results. Opt for an 18% protein. You can give higher protein feed during molting, but 18% is good for all around use.

Another great source of calcium, are all the egg shells fed back to your flock. I always just crush the egg shells with my foot, on the run ground. It all gets munched up in no time.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Lollychicken]

I have always done this and they are all fine, I would say it's ok

 

[ninja333pirate]

As cavemanrich said it can cause issues down the line with his liver and kidneys, but it can also cause bone spurs, what is happening and why layer pellets are ok for laying hens and not roosters or chicks is because the hens are laying eggs and those eggs take calcium from their bones to produce, so they need the extra calcium so they don't lose bone density. but a rooster and chicks and non laying pullets don't use up that calcium so any extra calcium they get from layer pellets is not only added to the bones creating bone spurs and rickets (soft/rubbery bones) over time and can straight up cause kidney damage, causing gout/kidney stones because it can tie up phosphorous, making it unavailable.

If you don't plan on letting you rooster live a full life then it wont matter much, but if you want him to live longer with out complications you can feed an all flock feed or grower feed and supplement the hens with oyster shell or ground up egg shell on the side as free choice as well as giving you a bit more leeway when adding treats to your chickens diet since you wont be diluting the protein too much as all flock and grower has higher protein in it. Like cavemanrich said you can dilute the feed with scratch or cracked corn for the rooster, but if you do that and your hens eat the same scratch you are also diluting their ration of calcium the layer pellets offers so then would still need to offer a free choice calcium like oyster shell.

 

[Lollychicken]

As cavemanrich said it can cause issues down the line with his liver and kidneys, but it can also cause bone spurs, what is happening and why layer pellets are ok for laying hens and not roosters or chicks is because the hens are laying eggs and those eggs take calcium from their bones to produce, so they need the extra calcium so they don't lose bone density. but a rooster and chicks and non laying pullets don't use up that calcium so any extra calcium they get from layer pellets is not only added to the bones creating bone spurs and rickets (soft/rubbery bones) over time and can straight up cause kidney damage, causing gout/kidney stones because it can tie up phosphorous, making it unavailable.

If you don't plan on letting you rooster live a full life then it wont matter much, but if you want him to live longer with out complications you can feed an all flock feed or grower feed and supplement the hens with oyster shell or ground up egg shell on the side as free choice as well as giving you a bit more leeway when adding treats to your chickens diet since you wont be diluting the protein too much as all flock and grower has higher protein in it. Like cavemanrich said you can dilute the feed with scratch or cracked corn for the rooster, but if you do that and your hens eat the same scratch you are also diluting their ration of calcium the layer pellets offers so then would still need to offer a free choice calcium like oyster shell.

Never knew that, thanks for the information

 

[FluffyBottomBantams]

He’ll be fine, especially if he has other things to eat, I mean chickens need calcium for other things besides eggs too right? Strong bones, feather reproduction, and the like.

 

[SpotTheCat]

He’ll be fine, especially if he has other things to eat, I mean chickens need calcium for other things besides eggs too right? Strong bones, feather reproduction, and the like.

They do need calcium but not as much as there is in layer feed

 

[Cazook]

it's ok as long as you plan on culling them for the table early. if you want them to live out a natural life, it's not good as it shortens their lifespan and health due to eventually trashing the kidneys.

easy way to avoid problems is to feed all-flock and have oyster shell available as required.