Switching from starter grower?

[docdubz]

The starter/grower feed I have my birds on says to give it to them til 18 weeks and then switch to adult feed. I was just wondering do they recommend that because many breeds start laying sometime around that age? If that's the case and since my bielefelders won't be laying for another couple of months should I keep them on grower?

Also, what type of food do you give your adult birds? All I can find in stores near me is layer feed or high protein (22 to 28%) all-flock.

 

[Bear1978]

You can go ahead and switch them now. There’s really no need to wait. The layer feed has more of the nutrients needed for egg laying so they’ll need that as it is anyways. I switched mine about that same time to layer feed and the chickens haven’t filed a complaint yet.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I keep mine on starter feed until everyone is actually laying.

I have one group with higher production birds that I feed layer feed to. Everyone else gets an all flock.
The ONLY reason that one group gets layer was due to shell issues.
I keep oyster shell available at all times in all coops. There is one bird in the higher production group that wasn't getting enough oyster shell even though I saw her eating it often.

 

[21hens-incharge]

You can go ahead and switch them now. There’s really no need to wait. The layer feed has more of the nutrients needed for egg laying so they’ll need that as it is anyways. I switched mine about that same time to layer feed and the chickens haven’t filed a complaint yet.

I don't see where the OP said how old their birds are.

 

[NatJ]

You can go ahead and switch them now. There’s really no need to wait. The layer feed has more of the nutrients needed for egg laying so they’ll need that as it is anyways. I switched mine about that same time to layer feed and the chickens haven’t filed a complaint yet.

The only special thing about layer feed is extra calcium--amounts that are good for layers, but harmful for tiny chicks.

I would keep them on starter/grower until they are all actually laying eggs, and provide a separate dish of oyster shell so they can get extra calcium as they need it. That tends to be a good way to handle the time when the first layers need more calcium but the slowpokes don't yet. Starter/grower + oyster shell can be fine for their entire lives, if that's what you want to do.

 

[Bear1978]

I don't see where the OP said how old their birds are.

I misread and thought they said 18 weeks.