Help with chickne food

[pumpkin cuddler]

Hello
I am hoping for some advice on feed for chickens.
We bought ourselves a hen house and food just after Easter but due to there being a problem with bird flu in our area there was no movement of poultry.

The feed we bought was for layers as the chickens we were to get were at point of lay.

Due to other reasons beyond our control we have not been able to get any hens until this coming week, (very excited about this).

The food we bought has now expired its use by date. The hens we are about to get are not ready to lay for several weeks now.

So the question is, can I feed the young hens on layers food that has expired its date as it will not have as much nutrients so will not effect them and make them come into lay early or do I need to buy growers feed to cover them until they are due to lay. Am I right in thinking that I need to feed them grower food until they are at the point of lay??

[Birdie Wife]

Hi pumpkin cuddler,

How old will the hens be when you get them? Breeders will sometimes use growers pellets to provide more protein to growing hens but they aren't strictly necessary. Can you find out what they're eating at the moment?

Firstly, I would advise you to get some more feed - the vitamins in the layers pellets do expire and so old feed would not provide them with a fully balanced diet.

Secondly, you'll be able to feed your hens layers pellets all year round, it's a balanced diet for all hens of POL and after, and provides them with the full range of what they need to thrive. They don't make hens come into lay particularly, although I do know people that give their hens a break from layers in the winter so they aren't laying any more, but as far as I can tell, hens will lay when they want to and can't be forced into it - I feed my hens layer's pellets all year round and they break from laying during the moult and in winter. A bit of mixed corn (but only a bit, it's a treat) is good in the winter evenings as it is digested slower and gives the hens a bit of heat through the winter nights.

Hope this helps!

[pumpkin cuddler]

Thanks the information you gave was great, a real help.

The hens will be 16 weeks old. We have been told that they should start to lay in two weeks time.

I thought that this was early, I was sure that I had read that they start laying at twenty one weeks but the lady assured us that it would be two weeks!!

Well we should be picking them up tomorrow, Thursday. I am very excited but very nervous to. I think that I am worried that I will do everything wrong. Hoping that I will feel more confident when they arrive.

[Birdie Wife]

In that case, layers pellets will be fine. Good luck with your hens, they are quite forgiving of ineptitude (I know!!) and every day is new for them. One bit of advice I would give is that you should try and get them used to human contact, try and get them feeding from your hand and get the seller to show you how to hold a hen properly so you're more confident - your confidence (or lack of) will rub off on the hens. Some are more skittish than others so be patient!