When to transition to pellets

[Yacky]

I am curious as to when I can transition my 7 weeks old chicks from medicated crumbles to All Flock pellets. They have been outside in their coop now for almost two weeks and are growing fast and getting little personalities. I am almost out of the 50 lb bag of crumbles and already have a 50 lb bag of All Flock pellets I have been feeding the ducks.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You can mix the feeds and if they don't have any pellets left by their normal feeding time then they're good to go.

 

[Yacky]

Ok, sounds good, thank you

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

I don't switch my chickens to pellets until after they lay their first egg. Once they lay the first egg, they get one bag of layer crumbles and after that they get pellets.

 

[Yacky]

I was wondering about that, because on the bag of crumbles it says transition at 18 weeks, which will be around the middle of august. Not even sure if they will lay eggs this year. I have read that most chickens wont lay in the winter months. Being from Wyoming, cold weather can start as early as September.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

I was wondering about that, because on the bag of crumbles it says transition at 18 weeks, which will be around the middle of august. Not even sure if they will lay eggs this year. I have read that most chickens wont lay in the winter months. Being from Wyoming, cold weather can start as early as September.

My chickens started laying at four months, in the middle of January. It was probably 30-50º on average. They still had their heat lamp, though.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I switch as soon as they are big enough for the pellets, since our crumble is expensive and save it for chicks and birds that need a higher protein like games, turkeys and phoenixes

 

[NatJ]

on the bag of crumbles it says transition at 18 weeks,

That instruction is probably for feeding Layer pellets, not the All Flock pellets you have.

You can safely transition them to the All Flock pellets at any age, as long as they can eat the pellets.

When they start laying (perhaps around 18 weeks), they need more calcium: either a dish of oyster shell, or layer pellets.

Layer pellets have more calcium than All Flock pellets, so layer pellets should NOT be fed to chicks, but All Flock Pellets are fine.

If you want to know whether they can eat the pellets you have: maybe put some out in a separate dish or feeder, and watch what happens.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd say it depends on how big the pellets are. If they're large, I'd wait a little longer. If they're mini pellets or smaller pellets, they can probably try them out now.

 

[NatJ]

I'd say it depends on how big the pellets are. If they're large, I'd wait a little longer. If they're mini pellets or smaller pellets, they can probably try them out now.

Just put out a few pellets and see--either they can eat them or they cannot, but they're not likely to choke on them. More likely to ignore them, if the pellets are too big.