Switch to Layer or Stay on Grower?

[mshap]

Hello,

My three girls are 21 weeks old and are not yet laying. My bag of grower crumbles is almost gone. Should I purchase another bag of grower feed since they're not yet laying or should I go ahead and get layer feed?

Thank you for your suggestions.

Helen

 

[gryeyes]

Stay on grower. If they start to lay while you have some left, just put out some crushed oyster shell, free choice.

I don't even use layer feed, as I have so many different ages of chickens in my flock. I keep the oyster shell out for them, and have very nice, hard-shelled eggs.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
X2

 

[woodmort]

Read this thread, they asked the same question: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=415107

 

[Fox&hen]

starter/grower is medicated. Does that matter as far as eating the first eggs before switching to layer?

 

[woodmort]

Fox&hen :

starter/grower is medicated. Does that matter as far as eating the first eggs before switching to layer?

If at all possible it would be a good idea if you switched off medicated feed at about 8/9 weeks. They shouldn't need it past that time and it would be out of their system by the time they started laying.​

 

[mshap]

Thank you to everyone that replied to my question and for the referral to the previous thread (don't know how I missed it). The feed they're currently getting is actually a starter/grower feed (non medicated) and is 22% protein. I'll go ahead and purchase another bag of this and continue feeding as I have. When they start laying I'll add the calcium. There's not any problem feeding this this amount of protein.

Once, again, thank you all for your input. This is my first time having chickens and I have found this message board to be a valuable resource.