When do I change their feed?

[mango-o]

So they are about 5-6 weeks old. When do I change their feed and any brand recommendations? preferably something I can get from online like Amazon. Right now they are eating Dumor 20% Chicken starter grower & Dumor Organic 19% starter grower. I'm not sure if the percetage makes a difference but I was running low on the 20% one and I could only find the 19%. Also when can I introduce veggies and stuff.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You don't need to switch at all if you don't want to, as long as calcium is provided on the side to meet the needs of laying birds. If you do want to use layer feed for any reason, then best to wait until they're at least as old as the recommendation on the bag, or until some of them have begun laying (which often is a number of weeks later than the age stated on the feed bags).

You can introduce veggies right now if you wish. Don't be surprised if they're reluctant to try it at first, new food can be scary! Make sure they have access to grit.

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

You just need to make sure that it isn't medicated after a certain age

Medicated chick feed is only for young chickens (bag should specify ages)

Aside from that, they could be on chick feed and/or all flock (flock raiser, etc.) essentially forever.

As Rosemarythyme said, calcium can be in the side. Laying birds should pick as needed. (And all the other things said in that reply)

 

[Mother of Chaos]

So they are about 5-6 weeks old. When do I change their feed and any brand recommendations? preferably something I can get from online like Amazon. Right now they are eating Dumor 20% Chicken starter grower & Dumor Organic 19% starter grower. I'm not sure if the percetage makes a difference but I was running low on the 20% one and I could only find the 19%. Also when can I introduce veggies and stuff.

As you can see above, many of us NEVER switch feed!

Layer feed is higher calcium (for egg shells) than chick feed and lower protein (for “economics” in large-scale layer farms.

Stick with the higher-protein starter or all-flock feed and provide calcium (generally oyster shells on the side. Boom, you’re done.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Layer feed contains calcium in higher amounts than any other feed (grower, starter, all-flock, feather fixer, etc.). This extra calcium can be harmful to non-layers and build up in organs such as kidney, liver and heart, and over time can cause gout, organ failure and even death. Since almost every flock is a "mixed" flock, containing both laying and non-laying birds, many of us prefer not to use it (layer feed), but instead provide another type of feed and offer calcium separately. As @rosemarythyme suggested, keeping a separate vessel of oyster shell works well because the laying hens will help themselves and all others will ignore it.

A caveat: you probably won't be able to tell that anyone is eating the OS. They don't need much and the level won't go down visibly, probably for several months. But they are. A five-pound bag could last you a year. Don't worry about it.

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

A caveat: you probably won't be able to tell that anyone is eating the OS. They don't need much and the level won't go down visibly, probably for several months. But they are. A five-pound bag could last you a year. Don't worry about it.

On that note- I've noticed with my flock, flaked oyster shell and chicken eggshells (*provided by me) go really fast.
My birds haven't had the rock calcium yet (that's next) but other birds haven't cared for it, it seems.
I'm not sure if it's because shell is more 'appetizing' or if rock calcium just lasts longer.