what age for laying pellet feed??

[akyramoto]

I have some 'teenager' chicks that are fully feathered & growing, I was curious when I can allow them to eat 'big' chicken food ( as in laying pellet). They're still eating chick feed & they get a little scratch every once in awhile. I've estimated that they're it least 6 weeks old ( my pair of BB's is it least 8-9 weeks old).

I'm just anxious to have ONE waterer & ONE feeder ( & ONE COOP!) !! haha. also anxious to get the teenagers socialized with the older girls.


ok, maybe I got ahead of myself - do I just have to wait til they start laying? then i can start with the laying pellet?

 

[iopele]

Yes, wait for them to start laying, DEFINITELY. The calcium in layer pellets can cause irreversible kidney damage and kill chicks before they're ready for it. I think 20 weeks? is what Storey's recommends for starting layer pellets. Two feeders and two enclosures is a pain, for sure, but it's better than sick or dead birds!

 

[Whirlwind]

You should start layer rations at 20 weeks, but they may not be laying eggs yet. Depends on what breed you have some start laying earilier than others.

 

[Cheeks]

yeah. i started mine on layer around 20 weeks.

 

[akyramoto]

ya i actually have the main pen for the laying girls, the mini coop for the teenagers & I have moma yellow butt & baby truffle & ellie in the tractor. It's alot of work to keep them all watered & fed!! lol. but it's worth it!!

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Yup, 20 weeks. Does anyone else feed grower pellets/crumbles until they are that old? I start w/ chick starter, then grower crumbles, then grower pellets and then layer pellets. I mix in cracked corn, too, (1/2 and 1/2) w/ the grower and the layer pellets. I know cracked corn supposedly makes them fat, but I also live in a very cold climate, and they free-range, so they can use the extra carbs.

Edit: I guess it's grower mash, not crumbles. FYI

 

[Cheeks]

i did the starter, then the grower, then the layer.

and my girls get plenty of cracked corn.
they absolutely love it- and i love the darker yolks.

 

[iopele]

How old do they need to be to get cracked corn and scratch, just out of curiosity? Mine are 10 days old so I'm betting they're a little young...

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Good question, iopele, I don't know.

@ I don't add corn until about 8 weeks, when I start the grower. Maybe you can give it to them earlier, but it is kinda hard, so I don't know.

Edit: hey I did find this , though. http://www.geocities.com/KelliAnn293/feedingDetails.htm This says about 6-8 wks. Pretty interesting site, too. My daughter is at Grammies today, I really should be cleaning the house or something, but this is far more interesting.

 

[iopele]

Hey, in my book, playing around online--er, I mean, doing serious research on the 'net, yes, that's it--trumps cleaning house every time.