Why is layer feed bad for young chickens?

[horsejody]

A lot of people buy gamebird feed and put a dish of oyster shell out. I use Purina Flock Raiser. Right now while they are free ranging they don't eat much of the commercial feed. They prefer the bugs and grass.

 

[SouthernLady]

Quote:
Can I buy that at the feed store? And what kind of feed should I be feeding them? Right now they're still on starter/grower.

Oyster shell (usually available at feedstores) and/or crush leftover eggshells will work. If you use eggshells a lot of folk will bake them in the oven first, to dry them out, and then crush them up. Offer it free access, maybe in a cup or some type of holder attached to the wall of your coop or fence post.

For feed, a maintenance feed will work. You don't really need grower/finisher because that's for broilers.

We've been feeding them oyster shell, but they don't seem to like it very much. I've got some finicky chickies.

 

[chickenlady]

It is not that they dont like it, they just dont need it. When they need it, they will eat it. They seem to know.

 

[lizard7]

Weeks ago, I added my two 7 wk old chicks to my coop which is home to one laying hen. Everyone is getting fine. I supply start & grow and laying feed and there is no way to keep them from eating both. So my question is, are the chicks being harmed by this? They are now at 16 weeks and seem fine.

 

[Hiedi]

I have been feeding my two (19 1/2 week) cockerels layer feed (along with my pullets) because I did not realize that the extra calcium could be bad for the cockerels. Oh my, I will have to come up with another plan, and I just bought another big bag of layer feed. The only thing I can think of at the moment to prevent them from eating so much layer feed is to let the two cockerels out of the run to free range more often.

 

[Pine Grove]

Its not like every rooster thats eats layer is gonna be affected by the high calcium..layer being fed over long periods of time just increases the chances of kidney failure..also feeding feeds with excess of 17% protein to adult birds is just as potentialy harmful as feeding layer feeds to young and non laying chickens...

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Me too. My youngest girls are now 19 weeks and have been eating both starter and layer for about a month now and they seem to be doing just fine. The older girls (all 6 months old) doing the same. I got lucky I guess, not that I was trying to, I just didn't know about the extra calcium and the damage it could cause. Everyone seemed to like the starter food better anyway, lol so maybe that is why they are all fine? Never had a problem with soft eggs either with the layers.

Thanks for the info!