Transitioning from starter feed

[curlyp]

Hello,

My chicks turned 16 weeks today. Yesterday I found a couple eggs in my temporary coop (until their permanent home is complete).

Currently, I have been feeding them Purina Start and Grow Starter and Grower Medicated Laying Chick Feed Crumbles. Now that some are starting to lay eggs, I’m looking to transition them from starter feed to adult feed.

The brand I’m looking to transition to is Kalmbach 16% All Natural Layer Pellets. I was told that the pellets last longer than the mashed food and is less likely to mold. I also, will keep a jar of oyster shells for them to snack on.

What are your thoughts and recommendations on the Kalmbach?

 

[Kiki]

Okay, thank you very much. Do you have a brand recommendation I can see if my feed store has it in stock.



Ok - thank you!

The best brand is what your local feed store carries...and sells regularly because that means they keep fresh feed in stock.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

I have a feeling she is laying the eggs. She looks more developed. View attachment 3133225

I have a feeling "she" will never lay eggs. I am far from an expert but that looks like a cockerel to me.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Is it okay to eat the eggs from chick feed? I thought they needed to more to adult feed in order to get the nutrients for the eggs.

As it turns out, apart from increased calcium, CHICKs need higher nutritional levels than Laying CHICKENS. Growing as (relatively) quickly as they do to near adult size is very hard on a body - which is why feed deficiencies in the very young tend to have life-long effects.

Also, pellet has less surface area relative to volume - goes stale more slowly. Like any other grain-based product. Think about how long your popcorn kernels stay fresh in the jar compared to your corn flakes. At one end of the scale is whole grain feeds (who have other problems, but tend to be the most time tolerant) at the other end of the scale is crumble. Pellet is much closer to crumble and was developed mostly as a way to control waste, rather than to extend shelf life.

 

[Kiki]

Thank you.

Yes, I was using the starter medicated feed. All birds are not laying eggs. Just one or two of my 12. Should I start the transition or wait?




Makes complete sense.


Okay, thank you!

If all birds are the same age or close to same age switch them to layer type pelleted or crumble now. It's actually better to switch them a few weeks before they start laying eggs but since most people don't know exactly when to expect eggs they wait until they see an egg.
Since you are already seeing eggs switch them.

 

[NatJ]

Is it okay to eat the eggs from chick feed? I thought they needed to more to adult feed in order to get the nutrients for the eggs.

The only special thing in layer feed is the calcium. For all the other nutrients, chick starter is fine for their entire lives.

Hens can get their calcium from a separate dish of oyster shell, or they can have it included in the feed (layer feed), or they can have layer feed and a dish of oyster shell. Any of those methods tends to work fine.

 

[nuthatched]

You can keep feeding chick feed, but use the un medicated stuff and provide oyster shell on the side. Of feed flock raiser.

 

[curlyp]

I have a feeling she is laying the eggs. She looks more developed.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

You can keep feeding chick feed, but use the un medicated stuff and provide oyster shell on the side. Of feed flock raiser.

I kept my 6 gals on chick starter until they were about a year old. My thinking after lots of BYC research was the protein. At 18% i feel it helped with the cold new england winters. I switched to 16% egg layer feed this spring. They were 10 months old. They free range and get tons of bugs for supplemental protein.

 

[NatJ]

If you have your chickens on a 16% layer feed do they still need oyster and grit and if so how much and how often do you give them some? If i bump up to higher protein it seems i need to supplement oyster shell and grit but layer feed has mixed in calcium?....

You probably do not NEED to provide oyster shell or grit in that case, if layer feed is the only thing the chickens are eating.

It is always fine to provide free-choice oyster shell and free-choice grit. The chickens will tend to eat the amount they need of each one, and ignore it if they do not need it.

Yes, layer feed does have calcium mixed in, at a rate that is right (or close enough) for most laying hens. Most other feeds for chickens do not have enough calcium for layers. Just check the label-- layer feed has around 4% calcium, other chicken feeds have around 1% calcium.

Any pelleted or crumbled feed has already been ground up, so the chickens don't really need grit. But if the chickens are eating anything else (whole grains, scratch, bugs, weeds, etc) then you should make sure they have a source of grit too. If they have access to ground that includes small rocks, they may find their own grit rather than you needing to buy it and provide it to them.