Switch from chick starter to layer or let them finish the starter?

[okallthis4eggs]

I have four Golden Comets who started laying in the past week. Also have two Buff Orphingtons and two Barred Rocks who are several weeks younger and not laying yet. My feeder still has about 25 pounds of chick starter in it and my guess is it will last at least three weeks. I give them scratch, grass, and other treats and they pick up lots of other goodies in the run so the feed has really lasted a long time. Should I switch to the layer crumbles and remove the chick starter or let them finish the chick starter? I did place a dish of oyster shell in the coop for who ever wants it. All of them seem to eat some oyster shell . The comets are 21 weeks and the buffs and rocks are about 18 weeks.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I'd supplement with the oyster shell on the side and let them finish the starter. When they're down to the last few pounds begin blending in the layer feed.

Go easy on the scratch and treats. More than a little is diluting the nutrition of their balanced ration. Let them have all the greenfeed and bugs they want.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

So basically let them have anything they would get if they were free range like grass and bugs. I have oyster shell in there in a separate dish. What I didn't realize was that the scratch could upset their balanced diet. I give them (eight chickens 18 to 21 weeks) about a 12 ounce can of scratch twice a day. Is that too much? Only other thing they get is a little fruit and a few meat scraps. I bought the 50 pound bag of chick starter the first week of May and eight chickens have only ate about half of it. I'm surprised they don't eat more but the run is new and there are a lot of goodies in there that they find and I have a bug zapper for them inside the run. Also keep plenty of mulched grass clippings in there for them that they go wild for. My concern is the scratch and if I am over doing that.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I'd give them the 12 ounce can of scratch once a day in the morning. In the evening you want to go to roost with a crop full of something more nutritious to build their eggs with which they'll be doing as they are sleeping.

Otherwise it sounds like you're doing OK.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Thanks friend for the help. I couldn't do it without you guys. You all make caring for chickens fun and easy.

 

[cmom]

I mix my leftover starter/grower crumbles with the layer pellets. They waste less feed when I feed them pellets. Since your younger birds are 18 weeks they aren't far from starting to lay. I have had a bird once in awhile start laying around 17/18 weeks.I give treats in the evening when I collect the eggs. It is a ritual and the birds expect it. I don't give them much as it is a treat, but when they see the egg basket they come running.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Thanks cmom. What kind of evening treats you give your birds? Mine get scratch, grass, leafy tree limbs, and all the bugs the zapper kills. I think I need to cut back just a little on the scratch according to A.T. Hagan.

 

[cmom]

In the evening I give them a little scratch with black oil sunflower seeds. They get grass and bugs. They used to get my compost piles and scratch out grubs, but I had to stop that because they were spreading out the piles then I would re-pile it and they would scratch it back down.

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Thanks for asking this question. My Buff Orpington is also about 18 weeks and so I wondered what to do with half a bag of starter feed.