Switching from grower food to layer early?

[lesliegt]

Hi! I am wondering, my chicks are just a couple of weeks away from laying, and I have a couple older hens already laying. We are down to the last bit of grower food for the chicks. Rather than going out and buying another big bag of grower, can I switch them to the layer pellets now? As stated, they should be laying within a couple of weeks...

 

[Alethea]

It's probably ok. The reason we wait is that the layer feed is high in calcium and too much calcium can cause bone deformity in chicks. If your chicks are ready to lay, I'd guess their bones are mature enough.

 

[mikecnorthwest]

I had the same issue and switched to layer feed a couple of weeks early. The girls did great.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Yes you can switch.

 

[Erica]

Yep. They start storing up calcium shortly before coming into lay, so a couple of weeks shouldn't hurt. Earlier than that I wouldn't.

 

[KimM]

We always switch ours when the first of the batch lays, so the others are getting layer sometimes weeks before their own laying kicks in. I'd say you're good to go! We were down to our last bag of grower and debating whether or not to switch to layer. We decided not to, bought the grower, and wouldn't you know we got the first egg that day! I'd definitely switch early next time.

 

[bloom_ss]

My girls will be 16 weeks on Wednesday and I just used up the last of the grower feed this morning so the next time I fill their feeder it will be with layer crumbles. They haven't started laying yet, but they are starting to get redder in the face and comb and the bag said to switch over at 16 weeks so that's what I'm gonna do.

 

[nuttyredhead]

Mine are on the end of the bag of grower and are 18 weeks tomorrow. They will be going on layer also! And Im putting them on Pellets! Im so tired of wasted food!

 

[farmerinKC]

I'm happy to see this thread. I have nine chickens and all but two are laying. I had already bought a bag of layer so I would be ready-and I didn't want to buy another bag of starter/grower for these two procrastinating ladies.

My girls are a mixture of 25 and 24 weeks.

 

[Over Easy PA]

I was going to ask exactly this same question! My chickens are 17 and 18 weeks old this week, and their combs are looking pretty red, but no eggs yet. I'm about to finish a bag of starter feed. So I guess I'll start giving them the layer crumbles when this current bag runs out in a couple of days.