Rooster question!

[tiffrosef]

So I am inhertiting a rooster from my mom sometime in the next few weeks. It's whole life it has been fed layer feed (they didn't start with chick feed or even grower feed, just straight to layer, don't ask me why I don't know.) I know of plenty of people that feed their full grown roos a layer feed diet, but he is still only 2.5 months old. Is there any sort of health problems I should prepare myself for due to bad diet? If so, any ideas on how to get the boy back on track? Right now he seems small for his age, smaller than my girls anyways. My girls are all right around the same age and they're all still on grower feed, is it okay to switch him straight from layer to grower or should I mix for a while?

I want to make sure he is healthy and happy, but I am concerned about the diet he has been fed so far. No greens, fruits or veggies at all... just layer feed since they got him at about 3 weeks old.

 

[familyfarm1]

I would give it a mix and not just straight.

 

[dreamcatcher12]

Was just reading this and now im wondering are roosters suppose to eat different food... one my babies just started laying so I bought layer feed is this ok for my rooster

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Was just reading this and now im wondering are roosters suppose to eat different food... one my babies just started laying so I bought layer feed is this ok for my rooster

You'll find two camps on this issue - those that are anti-layer and those that believe there is no harm in using it for mixed flocks. The issue is calcium - increased calcium is formulated into layer feed to support a laying hen's production of egg shell and the muscle contraction necessary for expulsion. Non-laying birds - this is young birds, male birds and females of laying age currently not laying due to molt, age, etc - do not need that level of calcium and the body that is not using calcium for shell production will store the calcium elsewhere in the body which is often found post-mortem as kidney damage, etc.
The debate stems from the fact that this sort of damage is a long-term process - it doesn't result in drastically shorter life spans or obvious illness/ill-effect from an external point of view (meaning the flock keeper does not "see" a bird in ill health) - so it is often perceived as "no problem" -- few people perform post-mortems on all birds who die, especially those who seem to have lived a fairly average life span and seem to have just died. Therefor, the damage that may be caused is not known. It's a matter of they can live a fairly "normal" life span, seem healthy, etc - but without the underlying issue of the calcium causing damage to their internal systems how much longer of a life would the bird have lived? Ultimately, it comes down to - it isn't "good" for them - but whether the level of "not good" is one a person is comfortable with is up to them.

 

[dreamcatcher12]

Hmmmmm well thats kind of confusing so if I feed him the layer feed I could be causing him internal damage.... well I dont want to do that so what do I give him his own food bowl...

 

[Chris09]

Hmmmmm well thats kind of confusing so if I feed him the layer feed I could be causing him internal damage.... well I dont want to do that so what do I give him his own food bowl...

Most people just feed a non-medicated starter or a starter/ grower to there adult flock and supplement with oyster shells.

 

[dreamcatcher12]

Thank you Cris