New to chickens! Help me with food.

[TheOgdensmenagerie]

So I am feeding my 5 weekers organic nonmed starter mix. How long do I keep these babies on this before moving on? Also what do I move on to? So many choices not sure what to do or when to do it!!

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! You can feed an 'all-flock' feed forever, with oyster shell on the side for layers, or transition to a layer feed when all your pullets are in lay. Make sure that each bag of feed has a recent date of manufacture so you aren't buying old stuff with lower vitamin amounts. I want my feed to be no more than three or four weeks old, and use it up in less than ten days. Mary

 

[TheOgdensmenagerie]

Welcome!  You can feed an 'all-flock' feed forever, with oyster shell on the side for layers, or transition to a layer feed when all your pullets are in lay.  Make sure that each bag of feed has a recent date of manufacture so you aren't buying old stuff with lower vitamin amounts.  I want my feed to be no more than three or four weeks old, and use it up in less than ten days.  Mary

Thanks for the advice!!

 

[ChickNanny13]

You may want to consider FF (ferment feeding); saves on feed & LOTS of good benefits. There's a LONG thread about it, interesting reading and it converted me. I have 5 girls but the benefits (nutritional absorption, less poop that is firmer & less stinky) is why I do it plus less wasted feed on the ground = less rodents.

I too have converted to Flock Raiser (w/oyster shells & grit on the side) instead of Layer although had to put my girls on layer when the feed store didn't get their shipment in. Now that it's in, I mix 50/50 until the layers done.

 

[chickens really]

The best way to feed chicks is Starter till 8 weeks and grower till the first egg. Then a good quality layer pellet at 17 %........


Cheers!

 

[lazy gardener]

No matter what you use, be sure it's recent mill date. 42 days is well on the way toward becoming rancid. And fermenting gives the flock huge dietary benefits.

 

[TheOgdensmenagerie]

Thanks for all the help guys!
So I have a pretty good size garden also. Would it be good or Okay to give them veggies and fruit as treats?

 

[lazy gardener]

absolutely.