When to switch feeds

[RustyBucketFarmGirl]

Agreed with other posters re: age of feed being a critical factor. As for starting your girls on layer, what are their breeds? Production and sex links are likely to start laying early, while some of the heritage breeds start laying later.

I stand alone in my opinion that pullets can start on layer any time after they loose their peep and get their cluck. (voice change indicating that they are entering chickie puberty). While the argument against extra calcium being bad for non layers bears merit, I am do not get wrapped up in the calcium argument. My roos eat layer most of their adult life, and have never exhibited any of the issues associated with excess calcium intake. When I have chicks, the entire flock goes on starter (unmedicated). The flock switches back to layer when the youngest chicks enter puberty.

Do what makes the most sense to you. At their age, the only thing I'd not do is put them on a low protein feed (less than 16%) or put them on medicated feed.

I have a completely mixed flock of 10 pullets. RIR, NHR, barred rock, Black astralorpe, gold laced Wyandotte, white leghorn, lakeshore Egger, partridge penedesenca, and buff Orpington.

I don’t know if those would be considered production breeds or heritage breeds.
;-)

Large coop. 8x12 and run space same size. Then they free range about 4 hrs a day.

 

[lazy gardener]

When I refer to production breeds, That includes hatchery sex links which go by many different names: Black Star, Red Star, Isa Brown, and there are many others. Also, Production RIR. The reason I make mention of Heritage vs. Production breeds is this: The production pullets usually come to POL much sooner than the heritage breeds. Heritage is often a misnomer: Some use the term to refer to any breed that is not a production bird, while other use the term to refer to a pure bred bird that comes from a strain from a breeder rather than from a hatchery.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I am not familiar with the concept of how recently it was milled ? Is that a question i ask at the feedstore? I usually place and pay for an order at the cash register and then drive around back and they load it in the warehouse.

Would each bag have a different milled on date like some beverages? Where would i find it?

If you are not familiar with reading dates on the bag, just ask whoever loads your truck/car with feed to give you the freshest bag possible. I was thinking if you don't ask, they most likely will give you the oldest feed in stock because it's been sitting for awhile.

 

[Folly's place]

So true! On Purina feed bags, the mill date is on the strip at the bottom of the bag, where the assay is. Some companies, like Purina, give a clear date. Others use a different system, or (bad IMO) use a code, which you have to ask to decipher. I like 'open dating'!
Mary