starter grower or laying crumble

[jadude]

Can you feed laying crumble to 5 week old chickens
I am getting an order of day olds in about 2 weeks

and when they get to be 5 weeks i will have to put them in the coop. i have no way of isolating them so they will eat the feed of my laying hens. so if i feed them laying crumble will they grow as well and potentially give as much eggs?
thank you

 

[keljonma]

No, birds that young should not be given layer feed. Too much calcium for their developing bodies.

Change to flock raiser and make sure you provide oyster shell for the layers.

 

[rooster-red]

Chickens do not need the extra calcium in layer until they start laying, it can cause deposits in the liver that will have harmful effects and can kill them.

 

[jadude]

what should i do they will have to be together

 

[Chirpy]

Feed them Flock Raiser feed. Offer free choice Oyster shell in a separate container for the older hens to use to help with the eggs.

 

[keljonma]

We use Purina SunFresh Flock Raiser. It is 20% protein. Purina says to feed it until the birds are 18 to 20 weeks then change to layer feed. However, when we have mixed ages (chicks, pullets, adults) we feed the Flock Raiser to everyone. We put oyster shell in a separate dish. The older birds eat it if they need it. The youngsters and rooster haven't touch it.

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:

 

[Daycare Mom]

You could also put the layer up higher so the littler ones can't reach it. Same with the oyster shell, it isn't good for the chicks to eat it. They normally don't want to eat it but it is hard on them if they do. Just a thought.

 

[Buckhunter]

whats the dif between starter and flock raiser ????

 

[jadude]

cna you feed them the laying crumbleand can you feed layers starter grower