silkie starter feed

[alex]

hey im alex, how would you tell when a silkie should stop eating his/her starter feed, i meen they dont have feathers and when do i stop feeding them the starter feed. . .thank you for everyones help.

 

[justusnak]

HI Alex...welcome to BYC. Your little silkie, and all other chickens, will need to be on the starter feed untill 20 weeks old. At that time, switch to a layer feed, and offer free choice...crushed oyster shell. This will make her egg shells nice and hard.

 

[alex]

hey thanks for the info. . .

 

[chicken_love]

what's in starter feed that makes it different? (Sorry for being so ignorant, I'm new...

 

[allen wranch]

Starter or starter/grower is formulated for what growing chicks need. It is usually medicated to help the chicks build up a resistance to coccidiosis, a disease that is in the soil. It is low in calcium and higher in protein than layer feed.

Layer pellets, crumbles or mash (depends on the size of the feed) is formulated for laying hens. It is not medicated and has more calcium and less protein than starter/grower.

Do not feed layer feed to chicks because the excess calcium can harm them. It is OK for laying hens to have starter/grower, but you need to have some oyster shell available for the extra calcium.

If you have roosters by themselves they should be fed a game cock feed or other feed that is low in calcium. If the rooster is with the hens, they can eat the layer feed (although it is not the best for them).

Scratch or scratch grains is usually fed as a treat or supplement. It is not good as the only feed for chicks or adults.

Hope this helps.