North Carolina

[sjmarshall87]

Quote:
Ah! okay.. mine are a little closer to the 6 month mark.. 24 or 25 weeks..

Makes sense now.. I think we are finally getting somewhere with them.. both put themselves in the coop tonight AND they are running to the food bowls with very few problems..

I am glad to hear they are fitting in for you. They should get to be a fair sized bird once they finnish growing and finally put on some weight and bulk to the body. They are in that growing age and just don't get much to them body wise. They didn't have much problem getting to the feed trough here but being it's a new place they probably had to learn it all again.

yea for a couple days they stood off and watched otherwise would get pushed around by mine.. that was partially the reason for hand feeding them. I was worried they weren't getting enough.. You had said they weren't free range with you so I wasn't sure how that was all gonna work out. So far they're doing fantastic free ranging

My girls are already on a layer food... maybe I will go and get them some grower food and continue hand feeding them with that a few more days. That would bulk them up a little, right? or should I just let them continue going the way they are. They seem to be eating just fine now

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

Quote:
I am glad to hear they are fitting in for you. They should get to be a fair sized bird once they finnish growing and finally put on some weight and bulk to the body. They are in that growing age and just don't get much to them body wise. They didn't have much problem getting to the feed trough here but being it's a new place they probably had to learn it all again.

yea for a couple days they stood off and watched otherwise would get pushed around by mine.. that was partially the reason for hand feeding them. I was worried they weren't getting enough.. You had said they weren't free range with you so I wasn't sure how that was all gonna work out. So far they're doing fantastic free ranging

My girls are already on a layer food... maybe I will go and get them some grower food and continue hand feeding them with that a few more days. That would bulk them up a little, right? or should I just let them continue going the way they are. They seem to be eating just fine now

They were still on starter feed here and DH keeps the juvis on starter to help them grow. He doesn't start the pullets on layer until they actually start to lay, this way they get more growth and size as well as the vitamins and nutrients for growing youngsters. Layer feed won't hurt them but starter is better.

 

[HenThymes]

Quote:
yea for a couple days they stood off and watched otherwise would get pushed around by mine.. that was partially the reason for hand feeding them. I was worried they weren't getting enough.. You had said they weren't free range with you so I wasn't sure how that was all gonna work out. So far they're doing fantastic free ranging

My girls are already on a layer food... maybe I will go and get them some grower food and continue hand feeding them with that a few more days. That would bulk them up a little, right? or should I just let them continue going the way they are. They seem to be eating just fine now

They were still on starter feed here and DH keeps the juvis on starter to help them grow. He doesn't start the pullets on layer until they actually start to lay, this way they get more growth and size as well as the vitamins and nutrients for growing youngsters. Layer feed won't hurt them but starter is better.

Here chicks are on starter only till they are completely feathered and between 6-8 weeks, after that they go on Purina Flockraiser till they are between 4-6 months old then we start to add some layer. Most of mine are on a combo flockraiser/layer mix all pellets. I know there is much personal preference as "when" to start them on layer but I did recently read where they say it actually is beneifical to start early as it gives them time to build what they need to have a healthy start to laying. We have never had any complications with the way we feed and show winners to boot!

 

[Jloeffler]

HT, do you put out pans of oyster shells separate from the feed then? What kind of pans do you use if so? Or do you keep the younger separate longer?

 

[BHep]

I feed mine starter until they move outside, about 4-6 weeks old. Then they go straight to layer. They all live together and eat together and free range together. Works here..... I use the crumbles, my smaller bantams hate the pellets

I may start mixing the pellets in since they are cheaper, try to save a few bucks. Feed prices are getting ridiculous. I leave a ceramic dish out of oyster shells and also sprinkle some in their feed once a week or when I remember.

 

[HenThymes]

Quote:
Everyone here has a grit & oyster shell mix at all times once they start on the flockraiser/layer mix. We buy chick grit and pullet oyster shell and everyone gets the same thing no matter their age or size. We buy ours at our local feed store but both in the smaller size are available at TSC I believe.

I went to big lots and bought some of their small plastic plant pots for .99 cents (no saucer), we drill a hole in the side toward the top and put a small clip in it and fill with both grit and oyster shell mix. We hang them on the side of the pens at a height that will accommodate who ever is in there but not dragging the ground if that makes sense?

We started feeding pellet because they seem to waste less. With pellets they can see it when it hits the ground and more apt to pick it and eat it, with crumbles they just kinda disappear. It just became a cost/waste issue when you are feeding so many.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Everyone here has a grit & oyster shell mix at all times once they start on the flockraiser/layer mix. We buy chick grit and pullet oyster shell and everyone gets the same thing no matter their age or size. We buy ours at our local feed store but both in the smaller size are available at TSC I believe.

I went to big lots and bought some of their small plastic plant pots for .99 cents (no saucer), we drill a hole in the side toward the top and put a small clip in it and fill with both grit and oyster shell mix. We hang them on the side of the pens at a height that will accommodate who ever is in there but not dragging the ground if that makes sense?

We started feeding pellet because they seem to waste less. With pellets they can see it when it hits the ground and more apt to pick it and eat it, with crumbles they just kinda disappear. It just became a cost/waste issue when you are feeding so many.

when I was buying crumbles by the end of the day what was left was powder and they won't eat it. so I was throwing out alot of feed with the pellets if there any left over and it's not wet{ducks] I can save it over for the next day. I bought those little gavanized buckets at TSC to put the grit and Oyster shell in and hang it on the side of the feeder house since my goose seems to get his feet in everything.

 

[buttercup0884]

TSC just put out coupons last weekend I think, advertising Purina's new omega 3 feed. It is a smaller pellet than the layer pellet, and it already has the oyster shell in it. Its the same price as the rest of the food, but there is a lot less waste. I was mixing pellets and crumbles to save money and cut down on waste, but I really like this new food and the eggs are showing a difference too. It does have the marigold extracts in it though so you would need to keep away from ur white show birds. I do still have oyster shell and grit out, but only because I bought so much last time it was on sale.

 

[BHep]

Quote:
Everyone here has a grit & oyster shell mix at all times once they start on the flockraiser/layer mix. We buy chick grit and pullet oyster shell and everyone gets the same thing no matter their age or size. We buy ours at our local feed store but both in the smaller size are available at TSC I believe.

I went to big lots and bought some of their small plastic plant pots for .99 cents (no saucer), we drill a hole in the side toward the top and put a small clip in it and fill with both grit and oyster shell mix. We hang them on the side of the pens at a height that will accommodate who ever is in there but not dragging the ground if that makes sense?

We started feeding pellet because they seem to waste less. With pellets they can see it when it hits the ground and more apt to pick it and eat it, with crumbles they just kinda disappear. It just became a cost/waste issue when you are feeding so many.

when I was buying crumbles by the end of the day what was left was powder and they won't eat it. so I was throwing out alot of feed with the pellets if there any left over and it's not wet{ducks] I can save it over for the next day. I bought those little gavanized buckets at TSC to put the grit and Oyster shell in and hang it on the side of the feeder house since my goose seems to get his feet in everything.

Great ideas

I am heading out to Ollies discount store today... flower pots are probably on clearance.

 

[Jloeffler]

Quote:
when I was buying crumbles by the end of the day what was left was powder and they won't eat it. so I was throwing out alot of feed with the pellets if there any left over and it's not wet{ducks] I can save it over for the next day. I bought those little gavanized buckets at TSC to put the grit and Oyster shell in and hang it on the side of the feeder house since my goose seems to get his feet in everything.

Great ideas

I am heading out to Ollies discount store today... flower pots are probably on clearance.

x2!!
This is why I love this thread! I love stealing...umm, collecting all these great ideas to use in my coops. I've been mixing the grit and oyster shell in with the feed and letting them pick out what they want more to keep from taking up additional space with something else on the floor of their run. But hanging it from the run fence would work really well!!
At what age do you put your pullets in with the rest of the birds? I'm trying to figure out if I need to get a rabbit hutch or some such to use as a grow out pen for at least a little while. We are using the bottom half of a large plastic dog house with plastic netting over the top for the brooder right now, but the chicks are starting to run out of room. I need to figure out what to do with them next. The last time we had chicks they had their own brand new coop to go into and no sharing required. This is all new territory for me, so please forgive all the questions!! In fact, anyone have pics of their set ups to help inspire??