When do you suggest to start my chickens on grower feed?

[Starpod]

Right now my roo and pullet are 15 weeks old and they are on starter feed.
Should I have started them on grower feed already?
If so what brand would you suggest?

 

[STACEYH]

If they aren't laying yet ,you don't need to. I would start offering oyster shells on the side.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Get them off medicated starter feed. The non medicated is cheaper or go to grower feed until they start lay. You can provide oyster shell on the side or use a layer feed with the extra calcium already added

Most starter is medicated. I run multi generation/age flock so never use medicated. If you do require medicated feed then you typically switch when they are 4-6 weeks of age or when that bag runs out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you're using medicated starter I would switch to unmedicated starter or grower or all flock. Otherwise you can stay the course or switch to the other two if you want.

Grower generally has a little less protein than starter to slow down growth, but not always.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Right now my roo and pullet are 15 weeks old and they are on starter feed.
Should I have started them on grower feed already?
If so what brand would you suggest?

If the Starter feed is 18 to 20% and Non-Medicated, you can continue to feed or switch to a Grower feed 15 to 16%.

I like to feed 18% Protein till 18 weeks old or first eggs from each breed.
Then I switch to a Layer feed 16 to 18%. I have no Cockerels/Roosters in my two Flocks.

Since you have a Cockerel you could stay with a Non-Medicated Starter-Grower or All-Flock feed. with a container of Oyster Shells separately.
Avoid Layer Feed's that have a warning on the tag, (do not feed to male birds).

I agree with STACEYH, offer a container of Oyster Shells now.

I currently have eight 20.5 weeks old Pullets and still waiting for the first egg.
Half have been squatting for a week and have a mature silhouette.

GC

 

[3KillerBs]

On advice from experts here, I've been using one bag of medicated starter, one bag of non-medicated starter, and then switching to all-flock.

The two bags of starter primarily because I can usually only get all-flock as pellet not crumble and they have to be big enough to handle the pellets.

 

[MTKitty]

The two bags of starter primarily because I can usually only get all-flock as pellet not crumble and they have to be big enough to handle the pellets.

So, if given the option, with layer feed, between pellet and crumble, which is preferable and why?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Put me in the camp of All FLock plus free choice oyster shell for the typical backyard flock, in typical backyard conditions, with typical backyard management.

As to pellet/crumble?

Pellet tends to be more expensive (takes additional machinery, processing time). It goes stale ever so slighly slower (less surface area exposed to oxygen), but you will never notice the difference, it works MUCH better in gravity feeders, particularly in high humidity conditions, and there's less waste - because chickens that spill crumble from the feeder are more likely to pick it up off the ground and eat it. That also means there is less waste to attract tasty bugs and unwanted rodents.

Crumble is (typically) cheaper. Its the same feed (substantially - a few companies add an insignificant amount of additional fat or oil to help the crumble stay together when peletized). Its problems with being scattered and lost (thus waste) can be relatively easily overcome by serving it as wet mash or fermented feed. But it really does not work in gravity feeders.

I feed crumble. As an oatmeal-like consistency wet mash. Loss amounts with dry crumble are usually reported as being between 2-6%. Assuming 5%, that makes a $20 bag of crumble the same value as an equally weighted bag of $21 Pellet. Yet there's a $1.50-$2.00 differential at the farm store.

/full disclosure - I get my crumble from the local mill, and pay less than $0.25/lb, the price differential for a bag of pellets, to be competative, is so tight the mill hasn't invested in the equipment - so when I am leaving property for days, and need to feed pellet for the gravity fed J feeders (4" sewage pipe and fittings), my costs go way up.

 

[3KillerBs]

So, if given the option, with layer feed, between pellet and crumble, which is preferable and why?

I use all-flock rather than layer.

For my adults, I buy whatever is either less expensive or, in this time of rolling shortages, simply available.

One of my feeders handles pellets a little better than crumble. Another of my feeders handles crumble a little better than pellets. Both work adequately for both.

 

[David61]

after the first bag of chick starter is gone, Flock Raiser crumble in the feeders.
They get 2 cup of ten way in the run to scratch at.
https://www.jandjbagging.com/10-WAY-SHOW-STOPPER-SCRATCH-50BG

What i realy like about the ten way is the soy bean they don't eat and things they miss Sprout in a day or two and they get fresh greens.