Which chicken feed?

[Curlykale]

Sorry - yet another chicken related question from me: My 2 girls are now 17 weeks and 13 weeks old, and so far have been fed on growers pellets. When should I change to layers pellets? Is it better to keep them both on growers until the younger one is 18 weeks or would that deprive the older one of important nutrients that she needs for producing eggs? Should the layers pellets be introduced gradually by mixing the two different types together then gradually reducing the amount of growers?

[Snadger]

I would say use layers pellets when they start laying? Must admit, I thought growers pellets were only for use when feeding cockerels. I use layers as soon as they are weaned off chick crumb.

[RichmondHens]

Growers pellets contain a different balance of nutrients to help them grow! Their needs change once they are producing eggs hence a different feed is needed.

Curly Kale, you can happily carry on feeding growers until they lay, or until the youngest is 18 weeks. A lot of people state point of lay as 16 - 18 weeks but many hens don't start laying until 24 weeks or later. It's not an exact science, just a rough guide. You can get very forward 16 week olds, or very backward 24 week olds, as in any species.

[squibbs]

Its worth checking your growers isn't medicated with a coccidostat as you shouldn't be eating the eggs or the birds when they are on that.

I tend to swap mine onto layers when I integrate them with the main flock - which depending on how they are going is somewhere from 16-20 weeks.

[kathyd]

We can't even buy grower's pellets over here, so young birds go straight onto layer's pellets. I didn't know cockerels were supposed to eat something different though - are you supposed to feed them separately from the girls then? Not that I have a cockerel at the moment, but maybe next year...

[RichmondHens]

Stud cocks running with a flock are fine on layers just like the hens. It's if you are growing them on for the pot that ideally they need a different diet.

[kathyd]

Stud cocks running with a flock are fine on layers just like the hens. It's if you are growing them on for the pot that ideally they need a different diet.

Ah good, that makes things easier then thanks .