YO GEORGIANS! :)

[carcar80]

Jaeessss. Das is true, yah..

 

[RoboDuck]

Jaeessss. Das is true, yah..

German dear... not Swedish.

 

[carcar80]

Close enough...

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

Which ever way you decide won't really matter all that much with them only being 2 weeks apart. I actually feed mine starter until they are closer to point of lay - but I gradually add more and more scratch grains in. Then once they start laying, I switch them to a layer feed.

For laying hens? I read feed starter until they start laying.

I know with dogs slow growth is always better, and I always switch pups to adult food at 3-4 months. But adult dog food has LESS protein and such than pup food, whereas laying food has a lot MORE than starter.

My 10 week old chicks and also the adult bantams are all on starter feed and will stay on it for a while (has meds too which is good as the adult bantams are being exposed to a new environment).

Having said that I have never heard of "finishing feed". Is that for meat birds? The word "finishing" suggests end/meat and not feed for adolescent layers.

GFG87, I use the starter/grower from hatch until I swap over to grower/finisher, then onto layer.

Just a thought. But I agree, I don't think it's going to be world changing either way.

Happy Easter everyone!!

I stop the starter feed at 8 weeks and go to grower feed.  The starter feed has too much protein.  It can lead to the chick growing too fast and the bones/muscle tissue can't keep up.  You end up with lame chickens.  It also makes the chicken mature too early and can cause egg laying problems.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I think I will switch to the grower/finisher once the oldest are 10 wks. Withmy first flock, they were put on layer feed as soon as I got them, which was when they were about 3 mos old. At that time, I knew nothing about starter or grower feed. They did just fine, but this time I guess I'll put the babies on layer feed sometime around 4 mos.

 

[RoboDuck]

carcar... those little SLWs got released into the big pen tonight. They are about the same age as the mutts we put in there last week. So what are they 5 or 6 weeks old? You should have seen the brawl that broke out amongst the little boys. It was hilarious!! Sometimes it was 4 going at each other. One latched onto another one's face and wouldn't let go. They eventually got tired and moved on but it was rather entertaining.

 

[LingaB]

Cleaned out the fridge this morning and the chickens got an Easter buffet!








Our cat loves to sit out there and watch them. She will sit out there for hours! They aren't scared of her either.

 

[LingaB]

carcar... those little SLWs got released into the big pen tonight. They are about the same age as the mutts we put in there last week. So what are they 5 or 6 weeks old? You should have seen the brawl that broke out amongst the little boys. It was hilarious!! Sometimes it was 4 going at each other. One latched onto another one's face and wouldn't let go. They eventually got tired and moved on but it was rather entertaining.

can you post pictures of your SLW? I want to see what hen looks like. I'm still not quite sure my one SLW.

 

[RoboDuck]

Quote:
HA! Your guess is as good as mine. I thought I had it figured out but carcar decided I was wrong. I thought I would be able to grab one of the ones fighting and check him out to get a definitive answer but they went up under one of the shelters where I couldn't grab them. So I am back to square one. But I will get GAM to take pictures of the ones I THINK are males tomorrow and we'll see what everyone else thinks.

 

[carcar80]

carcar...  those little SLWs got released into the big pen tonight.  They are about the same age as the mutts we put in there last week.  So what are they 5 or 6 weeks old?  You should have seen the brawl that broke out amongst the little boys.  It was hilarious!!  Sometimes it was 4 going at each other.  One latched onto another one's face and wouldn't let go.  They eventually got tired and moved on but it was rather entertaining.

LOL! That's how they were in my coop except I have nowhere to turn them out as of yet. They were throwing food/water EVERYWHERE with their brawling!

I may have been wrong but all but one of mine was really RED in the face, even at four weeks. The strange part was, the one that WASN'T red in the face was small in body and had no real tail feathers. Weirdos.

 

[Lynn79]

LOL! That's how they were in my coop except I have nowhere to turn them out as of yet. They were throwing food/water EVERYWHERE with their brawling!


I may have been wrong but all but one of mine was really RED in the face, even at four weeks. The strange part was, the one that WASN'T red in the face was small in body and had no real tail feathers. Weirdos.

Weirdos at your house? No...