When is it time to switch to layer feed?

[aoxa]

Point well taken. I was feeding layer to my layers until I got 9 week old chicks. Then I switched everyone to Flock raiser. I had oyster shell in a separate bowl but started getting soft shelled eggs and had a chicken with a serious prolapse.That was when my vet came over and told me they had a calcium deficiency and told me how she feeds. I had to give several birds injections of calcium gluconate. The prolapse has healed and everyone is laying hard shelled eggs again. I'm now mixing the flock raiser and the layer, feeding back egg shells a couple times a week and have bowl of oyster shells around as well as mixing some in the feed. I don't know how to keep their calcium levels up on just the flock raiser. The chicks are just 12 weeks old now and run with the big girls and eat their feed. I am open to any suggestions but am very worried about getting more prolapses from straining with rubber eggs. I almost lost a beautiful hen and am thankful to this vet. Most wouldn't put in the time she has with my chickens (or don't know anything about them).

That is very strange. In 5 years I have only had one chicken out of hundreds (yes HUNDREDS) that had a prolapse after she could not pass a triple yolk egg. I had to help it out and she prolapsed from straining.

I have gotten rubbery eggs when I forgot to refill the oyster shell, but besides that - no issues at all. I do not use flock raiser, as it is not an option here. My choices for chickens are: Game bird breeder, chick starter, grower/finisher, layer and other feeds for different species of birds (turkey grower, turkey starter, etc.)

Did your birds go for the oyster shell? Maybe they just were not used to it? Maybe the change where they had layer without oyster shell and switched to something new confused them?

 

[tinkershell767]

Quote:
Since all of my kids are together I just wondered when to switch to layer feed and would it hurt the younger ones.

My mom accidentally bought the layer feed when my chickens were only approx 10- 12 weeks old and I had a roo then too. It never hurt any of them.

 

[Chris09]

My vet, who has 300 chickens herself, both for meat and a flock of layers, says she just feeds everyone the same thing...layer. She has birds of all ages together and keeps her layers for years until they die natural deaths. She doesn't see health problems in her birds using layer feed. Her young chicks she has on grower but as soon as they go in with the flock they all eat the same thing...just saying.

I think I would find a new vet.

Quote From - Hyline Avian http://www.hyline.com/aspx/redbook/redbook.aspx?s=5&p=36
Quote From - The Merck Veterinary Manual http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/poisonings/overview_of_poisonings_in_poultry.html

 

[Chris09]

Point well taken. I was feeding layer to my layers until I got 9 week old chicks. Then I switched everyone to Flock raiser. I had oyster shell in a separate bowl but started getting soft shelled eggs and had a chicken with a serious prolapse.That was when my vet came over and told me they had a calcium deficiency and told me how she feeds. I had to give several birds injections of calcium gluconate. The prolapse has healed and everyone is laying hard shelled eggs again. I'm now mixing the flock raiser and the layer, feeding back egg shells a couple times a week and have bowl of oyster shells around as well as mixing some in the feed. I don't know how to keep their calcium levels up on just the flock raiser. The chicks are just 12 weeks old now and run with the big girls and eat their feed. I am open to any suggestions but am very worried about getting more prolapses from straining with rubber eggs. I almost lost a beautiful hen and am thankful to this vet. Most wouldn't put in the time she has with my chickens (or don't know anything about them).

Did your vet run a blood test to determine that it wasn't a Calcium/ Phosphorus imbalance? Other than a Prolapse what was the systems?
If your bird wasn't eating the Oyster Shells and you were feeding treats rich in Phosphorus (BOSS, Pumpkin Seed, Flax etc.) you could have a problem with a Calcium deficiency or at least have signs of a Calcium deficiency.

 

[micheleomal]

I have added younger birds once before to my flock of 16. At that time I changed everyone to flock raiser. I have not seen "grower" in any of the feed stores here. They only have chick starter, layer and flock raiser. Once the young ones started laying I changed to Layer. I have always added oyster shell to the feed. When I got those young ones I started putting oyster shell in a separate bowl. I don't think I've ever seen a chicken eat any and I spent A LOT of time staring at chickens

. Maybe that's why I had the calcium deficiency. I have a bag of layer and one of flock raiser now. I have been mixing them about equal amounts but will go out and change all their feeders to just flock raiser. If I add oyster shell to the feed will the young ones ignore it or eat it? The one hen that had the prolapse used to lay HUGE eggs. Then she stopped for a while and started laying rubbery eggs. The other hen that laid rubbery eggs is a younger layer, just starting this year, and was laying med/large eggs regularly, then stopped for a while too, then laid the rubbery eggs. Both hens are Marans but from different breeders. They both laid the eggs from their roosts at night. I value the opinions of the more experienced people on here. Any suggestions?

 

[micheleomal]

Uh Oh! I started feeding them ground flax seed not too long ago...but before the problems began. The vet did not do any blood work. She is not actually an avian vet. She works with livestock here in our small farming community. Her chicken experience is from her own flock. She has also worked on exotic parrots since we live close to a very affluent community of summer folk who bring their parrots on vacation with them I guess. I also purchased a bag on Omega 3 supplement that they seem to like. So, starting from scratch now....can I feed just Flock Raiser? No supplements. Oyster shells separate or in feed (since they don't seem to eat them when they are in a bowl)? I give some scratch grains and sunflower seeds in the morning when they come out, then they "free range" in my grassy yard all day. There is dirt for them to forage in and mulchy areas too. I throw grit out each morning with the scratch. The birds I've had for a 1.5 yrs have done great on this regimen. I only started having issues this spring after adding a couple younger ones and changing everyone's diet. I also gave them supplemental light this winter and got eggs all winter. When I started having issues I thought that perhaps I had thrown off their normal laying cycles. Any advice, please?

 

[tridentk9]

Also check fda.gov to make sure their food hasn't had a recall. Here's an example of their notice: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm393549.htm

 

[Springchild]

SpringChild - I work at True Value. They should be able to special order you a non-medicated feed as long as the warehouse stocks it. We do it at my store for. O additional cost. My store doesn't carry some of the items I use for my chickens, but almost always I can order it in special. You might ask the employees next time you are in if you have specific types of feed you want. Might be surprised!

I did exactly that and got shut down flat. I was told only store on some list are available to order special shipments to. The store has to pay to be on that list. It's the same old story. Send all the crappy stuff the lower 48 does not want to Alaska!! It's sickening that we and our babies can't get the same items as the lower 48 states.

 

[Chris09]

Uh Oh! I started feeding them ground flax seed not too long ago...but before the problems began. The vet did not do any blood work. She is not actually an avian vet. She works with livestock here in our small farming community. Her chicken experience is from her own flock. She has also worked on exotic parrots since we live close to a very affluent community of summer folk who bring their parrots on vacation with them I guess. I also purchased a bag on Omega 3 supplement that they seem to like. So, starting from scratch now....can I feed just Flock Raiser? No supplements. Oyster shells separate or in feed (since they don't seem to eat them when they are in a bowl)? I give some scratch grains and sunflower seeds in the morning when they come out, then they "free range" in my grassy yard all day. There is dirt for them to forage in and mulchy areas too. I throw grit out each morning with the scratch. The birds I've had for a 1.5 yrs have done great on this regimen. I only started having issues this spring after adding a couple younger ones and changing everyone's diet. I also gave them supplemental light this winter and got eggs all winter. When I started having issues I thought that perhaps I had thrown off their normal laying cycles. Any advice, please?

I really think your vet should have done a blood test, My livestock vet pulls blood on all my livestock and dogs. I never needed him to do blood work on poultry but I know he has for other people.

The Flax Seed and Sunflower Seed might have something to do with it, and I bet that the first ingredient of that Omega 3 supplement is Flax also.

If it was me, I would feed the Flock Raiser then put your Oyster Shells in a bowl off to the side of your feeder. I would cut out all treats until I see that there eating the Oyster Shells then feed the Flax and Sunflower Seeds at a minimum. Flax should be feed at no more than 2-3 percent of there diet, that would be 2-3 pounds Flax to 97-98 pounds of feed. The Sunflower Seeds I would do about the same. I would also cut out the Omega 3 supplement.

 

[chickmagnet101]

My chicks are 16 weeks old and I started giving them layer feed. Now, week 17, I got my first egg!