Separate layers from non-layers?

[Fr Anthony Monk]

10 weeks ago I bought 12 pullets. To my inexperienced eyes they all looked the same age. The birds are kept together and fed a laying grain. We got two eggs a day for the first three weeks, then three eggs a day for the next three weeks and now for the last four weeks 4 to 5 eggs a day have been collected. So it seems only about 6 of the twelve birds are producing. My question is: should I have separated the layers from the non-layers and fed the non-layers a grain more appropriate for them?

 

[Kelsie2290]

Most commercial Layer feed says to feed after 18 weeks. If they are about the same age, most of yours are probably over that if half of them are laying already. A lot of people do prefer to not start Layer until the bird is laying, but in larger flocks it isn't easy to keep them separate or know who is and isn't laying. If you are concerned that some of yours are a lot younger, What most people with mixed flocks do is feed some sort of All-Ages/Flock Raiser, or Starter/Grower (about 18% protein) food to everybody and have oyster shell available separately for the layers, the layers will eat what they need and the others will leave it alone. You can do the same with a flock of all layers if you want. Except for Layer feed with the extra calcium, most chicken feed is very similar with just different amounts of protein.You don't want to feed Layer feed to chicks / young birds because it is bad for their kidneys and bone growth.