Types of feed

[thatssewmimi]

Our chickens are 17 weeks old. When do we start feeding them food for egg production?

 

[sourland]

If you want you can keep them on an all flock type diet with oyster shell on the side.

 

[DobieLover]

If you want you can keep them on an all flock type diet with oyster shell on the side.

x2
I've never fed layer feed. IMO it is too low in protein and I don't want to offer feed with extra calcium in it year round as there will be many times when you do not want to feed your birds the extra calcium that is only required for active layers.

 

[Folly's place]

Agree with the above. My birds eat an all-flock feed their whole lives, with oyster shell in a separate container for the actively laying hens and pullets.
Layer feed does NOT encourage egg production! It gives birds who are laying eggs all or most of the extra calcium they need for their egg shells, and generally is a very basic diet otherwise. The birds can get that extra calcium from separate oyster shell as they need it, and birds not producing eggs aren't trying to process that extra mineral.
Mary

 

[GC-Raptor]

Our chickens are 17 weeks old. When do we start feeding them food for egg production?

I feed 3 types of feed. A Medicated Start and Grow for 10 weeks, then when bag is empty a Non-medicated Starter-grower or an All-Flock feed with 18 to 20% Protein throughout Adulthood with a separate container of Oyster Shells offered after 15 weeks old.

GC

 

[aart]

x2
I've never fed layer feed. IMO it is too low in protein and I don't want to offer feed with extra calcium in it year round as there will be many times when you do not want to feed your birds the extra calcium that is only required for active layers.

x3

 

[WickedChickensFarm]

After continuously losing hens to visceral gout and several bouts of bumblefoot we stopped the layer feed. Those things are caused/exacerbated by an excess of calcium. I think we are all killing our backyard pets with commercial layer feed.

Since the change I have had zero problems with thin-shelled eggs or bumblefoot. Some of my older girls probably have some damage done already from our previous layer pellet diet but hopefully the younger ones won't have a gout problem in the future.

My girls get free choice oyster shell and grit with an all flock pellet and daily milled soy-free broiler feed that has been soaked in water.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

DobieLover said:
x2
I've never fed layer feed. IMO it is too low in protein and I don't want to offer feed with extra calcium in it year round as there will be many times when you do not want to feed your birds the extra calcium that is only required for active layers.

x3

x4

 

[aart]

After continuously losing hens to visceral gout and several bouts of bumblefoot we stopped the layer feed. Those things are caused/exacerbated by an excess of calcium.

Gout, yes.
Calcium has nothing to do with bumblefoot, which is a staph infection in a foot wound.