When can chicks switch to layer?

[Tracyree]

Do I need to wait until they start to lay? I have 4 pullets going into lay now, but I have three younger ones that are 16 weeks. Too young for layer?

Will it be just as good for my layers to stay on grower but offer oyster shell?

 

[chicmom]

What I do is, I switch them to the layer feed at around 17 weeks of age, give or take a few weeks....It kind of depends on when I run out of the starter/grower feed...If it's close to the 17 weeks, then I just switch when I'm ready to buy a new bag of feed.

 

[Fred's Hens]

When they become Layers, that's why they call it Layer feed.
If you offer shells on the side, there' no pressure to change from Grower, but you can, at your convenience.

 

[ridgewood chickens]

Should be fine to put them all on layer - just switched mine over at 20 weeks, only because that is when I ran out of grower, would have been fine to have done it a little earlier.

 

[jmtcmkb]

sorry to grab on to this thread, but I was going to ask a similar question- mine are 6 weeks and my first 25lb medicated chick starter crumbles is gone, should I keep them on that and if so for how long? Seems to me when I visited the feed store the guy mentioned I would be changing their feed at around 8 weeks so something else..

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
You have three more months, on average, before layer feed. Continue with Starter, or Grower, or Raiser. Long way to go. The high calcium ground into layer feed is to provide a laying hen calcium. But, that high level of calcium is potentially troublesome to a young, developing bird.

 

[jenkassai]

So glad you asked this! I got my first egg today, and it's almost time to buy a new bag of feed, so I was going to buy layer, even though only one is laying right now. I wasn't sure if I was jumping the gun or not. Wondering if only one or two start laying now, and some wait until the spring to start (shorter days now), will the ones not laying be okay on the layer?? Or should I continue to just offer raiser, and have oyster shells on the side? And if we are feeding layer, do we also need to offer oyster shells?

Thanks!