When to switch feed...

[kllyjansen]

Hello All,

I have three 5-month-ish pullets (2 cream legbars, 1 barred rock) that are free range in my backyard. Two of them have been squatting for about a month and I anticipate eggs from them any day (or that they are hiding a nest somewhere). The third pullet (a cream legbar) despite being the same age as the other two, is developmentally behind the other two. Her waddles and combs are just now starting to grow and redden and I wouldn't expect an egg from her for at least another month, maybe longer.

I have been feeding them starter feed but noticed that they only have about a day's worth left of that feed. I have a bag of Layena Pellets that have has waiting to go because I expected eggs a couple weeks ago.

I was hoping that because they were free range and the feed was mostly supplemental that I could switch them to the Layena instead of buying another huge bag of Starter Feed that I will not be able to use all of. The reason I hesitate is I'm worried about the CLB pullet who just seems so much less mature than the other two despite being the same age.

Thoughts?

 

[QueenMisha]

Pullets are ready for a laying feed anywhere from 16-18 weeks (4 - 4 1/2 months).

Do you mean medicated starter? Pullets should be on a grower from 8-16 weeks, they no longer need medication after 8 weeks. If they are still on medicated, you should not eat any eggs they lay within the first 1-2 weeks after switching off medicated feed.

Layena is a crappy feed. I recommend switching to a higher quality brand, usually small brands and brands that offer organic/non-GMO lines in addition to conventional lines are going to have much better, fresher ingredients. With only 3 birds the price difference is going to be practically unnoticeable, and your birds will be much better off for it.

 

[kllyjansen]

They have been on a complete, non-medicated feed we picked up from a local feed store that was supposed to get them all the way to laying. I thought they called it a starter, but perhaps I misunderstood. I was told and have been reading on this site to keep them on that feed until they laid their first eggs. Is this incorrect?

I'm not prepared to jump on the organic/non-GMO bandwagon nor to enter into that debate

Their feed so far has been organic/non-GMO and it is hard to keep... smells badly and spoils easily. I AM prepared to hear why Layena is crap, but the fact that it isn't organic will lose me pretty quickly. Unless it is actually detrimental to their health, I will feed out the bag and will happily be educated on what to feed them next

They have my gardens and yards to forage for a large part of their diet so I really feel the feed winds up being supplementary anyway. Am I incorrect for thinking (assuming) this?

It sounds like you would have recommended switching them over to layer before their first eggs, though?

Gosh! Teasing through all this chicken raising business can be as complicated as reading through baby books!

 

[QueenMisha]

They have been on a complete, non-medicated feed we picked up from a local feed store that was supposed to get them all the way to laying. I thought they called it a starter, but perhaps I misunderstood. I was told and have been reading on this site to keep them on that feed until they laid their first eggs. Is this incorrect?

I'm not prepared to jump on the organic/non-GMO bandwagon nor to enter into that debate

Their feed so far has been organic/non-GMO and it is hard to keep... smells badly and spoils easily. I AM prepared to hear why Layena is crap, but the fact that it isn't organic will lose me pretty quickly. Unless it is actually detrimental to their health, I will feed out the bag and will happily be educated on what to feed them next

They have my gardens and yards to forage for a large part of their diet so I really feel the feed winds up being supplementary anyway. Am I incorrect for thinking (assuming) this?

It sounds like you would have recommended switching them over to layer before their first eggs, though?

Gosh! Teasing through all this chicken raising business can be as complicated as reading through baby books!

Some feed dealers call their growers a non-med starter. They shouldn't, because it's not a starter, it's grower, but they do anyways.

I wasn't necessarily advocating you use organic/non-GMO feeds. I do, personally, and haven't had any issue with storage, but I am aware many people find the use of these products unnecessary. However, I have found that companies which offer an organic or non-GMO line of products, in addition to a conventional line, tend to have all-around better feeds.

Layena (and other feeds offered by large conglomerates, e.g. Walmart or TSC brand) all tend to be crap. I mean, yes, the chickens will survive and produce eggs on them, but they certainly won't be at their best. The ingredients in these kinds of feeds are sourced from all over the world, and it's hard to know exactly where they came from - whether they were grown in a cloud of pink fog somewhere in China, or next to a toxic waste dump in New Jersey. They're milled in massive batches - millions of pounds at a time. The quality control is poor when thousands upon thousands of bags are being made and processed as quickly as possible. Next, they go to a warehouse, where they sit for months, because feed companies can't possibly sell all those millions of pounds within just a few days or weeks. So what you end up with is a feed that was made from questionable ingredients, bagged in a high-production environment where all anybody cares about is getting that feed milled and shipped ASAP, and then sat on a shelf for months while all the nutrients leach out of it.

Even chickens who are completely free-ranged (no fences whatsoever) can be expected to gain only 10-20% of their diet from foraging. Birds an enclosed environment will gain maybe 10-15% at most. So the feed will be their main ration, and foraging will be supplemental.

If you can find a small or local company, they'll have the best feed available, and many of these companies will carry both organic and conventional lines.

It's recommended that you switch them to layer at 16-18 weeks because A. Some high-production breeds will begin to produce their first eggs around this time, and B. They need to build up a certain amount of calcium for their first eggs to be of good quality. There will still be some odd eggs, but not as many.

 

[kllyjansen]

Thanks for the wealth of information! I will search around at some of my local feed stores for something with better nutrition for them.

 

[QueenMisha]

Thanks for the wealth of information! I will search around at some of my local feed stores for something with better nutrition for them.

Glad to hear it, good luck with your pullets.

 

[Mutt Farm]

For egg chickens: Feeding lay feed too early can cause kidney damage. I'd spring for 1 more bag of starter if they're not all laying. As long as your starter feed is non-med, AND you have oyster shell available (or another source of calcium), they would be better on grow feed till they're all laying and need lay mash. Brand is relatively insignificant, guaranteed analysis is important. Good luck!

 

[QueenMisha]

For egg chickens: Feeding lay feed too early can cause kidney damage. I'd spring for 1 more bag of starter if they're not all laying. As long as your starter feed is non-med, AND you have oyster shell available (or another source of calcium), they would be better on grow feed till they're all laying and need lay mash. Brand is relatively insignificant, guaranteed analysis is important. Good luck!

Yes, the extra calcium can cause kidney damage if fed too young. However, too young is considered younger than 16 weeks. If they're 5 months (20 weeks) they could have easily been on a layer for a month now with no ill effects, while getting a great boost of calcium that will result in strong, healthy first eggs.

Source: I work at a poultry specialty store, we give out this information daily to people buying pullets and feed.