When To Switch From Starter To Layer?

[rosemarythyme]

So since they likely won't be laying much over the winter would you say just sticking with the Starter feed through the spring and then switching to Layer feed would be realistic?

And what is "laying age"? As I mentioned ours are 17wks currently.

That should be fine.

And laying age will vary wildly by bird. Earliest would be around 16 weeks, which would be more likely with production types (hybrids, leghorns) but some birds can take as long as 8 or 9 months to start (more likely with low production/decorative types). With onset of winter, that will likely push back onset of laying by at least a few weeks, but it can sometimes push it all the way closer to spring, when day lengths start lengthening again.

 

[NatJ]

Or is all this just marketing and it really doesn't matter what you give them they're going to do what they do?

Laying hens need more calcium than young chicks.

You can provide the extra calcium by giving them layer feed (which has about 3 times as much calcium as chick starter does.)

Or you can provide the extra calcium by letting the hens have a dish of oyster shell to eat as they choose.

Either way should be fine. They will probably lay about the same number of eggs either way.