Please help! Leaving for vacation tomorrow. Can I feed my layer chicks grower food for meat birds?

[AlineD]

I sent my husband to pick up some more chicken feed and he came back with a 50 pound bag of grower food for meat birds, which he says the guy at the feed store recommended. We have 7 and 10 week old layers. I wasn't sure whether to keep them on chick starter or switch to the next level-- but meat bird food? Is this okay?

 

[AlineD]

It's called "Meat Maker" and it's 21% protein.

 

[enola]

Your chicks will be fine with this feed.

 

[southernflock14]

It must be sort of like game bird starter ( higher protein) in my experience it seems like it makes the chicks grow a little faster that's it

 

[JadedPhoenix]

They'll be fine but for your age of chicks, they should really be on either "chick-grower" or "all-flock". They can go on layer feed at about 18 weeks.

 

[AlineD]

Thanks for your feedback!

I am somewhat amazed by the stores that deal with chicken supplies around here. There is no grower feed anywhere. Only starter, layer, and meat bird feed. No organic feed at all. Half the chicks I purchased are not what the stores claimed they were (I.e. "Araucanas" actually Easter Eggers, plus one of my supposed White Leghorns turned out to be an Easter Egger or some kind of hybrid also). Is this par for the course?

 

[JadedPhoenix]

I'm afraid so. With stores, they either have really really good employees who are already knowledgeable before they were hired or they have employees who know nothing, the store tells them nothing and they are just there for their eight and a paycheck. They can really be hit or miss. What area are you in? You could look for your area specific thread here on BYC and find out what people in your area do for their chickens and where they get their supplies.

 

[AlineD]

Oooh, good idea! I didn't know I could do that. I'm in northern Wyoming.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/699789/wyoming-unite

Here you go. The people on the thread should be able to tell you about resources of your area.

 

[AlineD]

Thanks!