wanting to move to layers but i have a 12 week old chick .....

[chickchicks]

hello

i have layers that are nearly there and i have two that need to start again!!! ( they had chicks and no eggs for me in 15 weeks+)

i want to swap them back to the layers BUT i have one chick and i think "he" is about 12 weeks this saturday ,
i have been told that young chicks cannot deal with the high calcium
is 12 weeks still too young or can he deal with it now?

they do have oyster shell and grit ect on hand already but they dont seem to touch it at all

any advice will be great
i want eggs again !!!

 

[Fred's Hens]

If the 12 week old is indeed a rooster, then there are no worries. Roosters can and do eat anything.
The offering of oyster shells is supplemental and if the hens are eating it, it is often because they have no internal cues that are telling them to seek more calcium. They only seek the added calcium if they feel deplete. Since they aren't in heavy lay mode, I don't they sense the need. All feed has calcium, it is just that layer feed has additional amounts of calcium.

Frankly, there's virtually no issue here.

 

[chickchicks]

thank you i was not sure what to do

i think the 21 week old is a male , ill stick on a pic if i can ,
it has red waddles and comb but no crow and no fighting ( when i had other males its age )

this was from about a week or so ago - it does have a bit bigger tail now the red is no different , i just wish it would tell me !!!

 

[Whittni]

Quote:
Oh, he is such a cutie! I think that is a cockeral, a young male rooster.

Congrats, I bet he will be a great rooster.

 

[chickchicks]

i hope he is a quiet rooster of the neighbours will not be very happy

i live in a street with losts of houses , i was nice to ask before igot any chickens.
neighbours saidno cocks

ive given two away last week to a nice farmer who was in need of some to protect his ladies - they are haveing a great life on a free range farm now

zelda is cockrell by looks of things but he is quiet and wimpy of even hisown shadow so im hoping he stays quiet and we can keep him
( the neighbours will never know haha

)

 

[goobhen]

I think "he" is a she!! Hopefully I am correct! Beautiful chicken by the way.

 

[chickchicks]

i wish !!

ill have to get a recent picture for you ,

zelda has a large tail now say...13/15 cm long
has new neck feathers coming through dont know the shape yet there still small the plastic skin sheet.

cant see any saddle feathers i think but hernew feathers have a green tinge to them ! and legs are a yellow colour

looks lovely i must say .

very quiet loves food and sings the song out of gremilins ( gizmo when he wistles) its cute, shame i have not caught it on video yet .

zelda is nowpast 12 weeks old.

 

[UncleTommy]

It kind of looks like a pullet to me, whats the breed? Oh, and you shouldn't feed layer feed to chicks that are younger than 16 weeks, its messes with their bone development, not exactly sure how, but I researched that one before.

 

[chickchicks]

Quote:
thanks ,

thats why i asked i dont want to hurt poor zelda!

its a barnevelder . ill try for a better picture when i get home tonight, did take a quick look on a siht and there pictures sort of matched mine for a male but it did say they can me sneeky and discuise themselves till last minute

they are on a growing pellets at the moment , the new ones i got came with layer feed thats why and concerned as they do eat the grower but the others fight them off and they have associated grower pellets with being bullied now ! bless them they eat a mix at the moment of both trying to get them to eat the grower more for now , im just concerened about zelda he/she will eat anythign including the layersfeed ive seen zelda sneed a bite or two but i just move zelda away as i dontwantt to seperate the birds
a they have no where else to go
b they are just starting to get into the pecking order properly now with the others .
hopefully this can be sorted out soon and they just eat grower for now, not too big of a rushfor the change as i thought , as they are not laying just yet.

 

[JodyJo]

I think its a pullet as well...I kept mine on starter/grower and added oyster shell on the side till ALL my girls were laying...12 weeks is too young for layer feed.