When to change feed types

[featherhead007]

here is a roo for you!

 

[featherhead007]

Dammit my birds eat better than I do!

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I only feed all flock, even before I got my chicks and my rooster. I won't feed layer feed to my chickens... So the first and second groups went from medicated chick feed for the first week (to handle any medical stuff that came up from stress), then moved them to unmedicated chick feed until they were about 12 weeks and then switched to grower. Once I was thinking about getting chicks, we switched to all flock. The rooster has been my most recent edition.
I offer oyster shell on the side for the calcium.

 

[BY Bob]

here is a roo for you!View attachment 1443718

He's a beauty

 

[ChickNanny13]

Age old question, when to switch/what to feed ... I used to do the switch at stages until I read about not needing Layer. Now I feed the smallest bag of Medicated Chick Starter which I ferment. When that is done I switch to Flock Raiser (ferment) and add an dish of Oyster Shells when they show signs of laying.

Read those with multiple ages & Roos that the calcium in the Layer was not good for them. Plus one feed for all saves on storing feed Find the girls shells are not thin at all and this past Winter they laid 3.5 eggs per day - I only have 4BO right now.

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

I have found that my roos actually spit out the oyster shells if they come across them.
I'm a newbie chick raiser myself. I've been feeding medicated turkey starter to my (chicken) chicks. At about 5 weeks I've been mixing in about 1/3 mixed flock 17%) and gradually increase the amount of the 17%. They appear to be thriving. The only exception is the one chick being raised by a broody. Little bugger gets sneaks out and gets in with the big guys and eats a bit of their food. Its 3 weeks old, so I figure it can't hurt. It's still eating the turkey starter as well.

 

[snow5164]

..... if you have roosters, I would switch to flock feed and have oyster shells on the side for the hens.[/QUOTE]
Just be careful my rir won’t eat the oyster shell , say what you want “ they’ll eat it if they need it” my girls laid soft eggs and some died, switched back to layer and they perked up and laid normal eggs shortly after.

And my rooster eats the oyster shells?? Think I have wonky birds

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

..... if you have roosters, I would switch to flock feed and have oyster shells on the side for the hens.

Just be careful my rir won’t eat the oyster shell , say what you want “ they’ll eat it if they need it” my girls laid soft eggs and some died, switched back to layer and they perked up and laid normal eggs shortly after.

And my rooster eats the oyster shells?? Think I have wonky birds[/QUOTE]

One of my roos likes to get into the nesting box and sit on eggs for an hour or so every day...

 

[snow5164]

My rooster sleeps in the last nesting box ... I know because he leaves me a big crap in it each morning and no one lays in it ever ... roosters are crazy

 

[Beth the chicken mama]

Just dry your used eggs shells the grind them up and sprinkle a bit over there food instead of buying oyster shells. That will give them good calcium back in their diets.