what to feed chickens when they start laying eggs

[annieo12]

My chickens will be 8 weeks old this Thursday, but I want to start preparing for when they lay their first eggs. I’ve heard that oyster shells provide calcium and we need to feed them those. Any other recommendations?? Thank you!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I feed my flock Purina All Flock for all ages, including roosters and provide oyster shell for my layers. If you want to provide a layer feed instead of an All Flock or grower feed, then you start feeding layer feed around 16 weeks.

 

[azygous]

Their bodies won't need extra calcium until they begin to lay, on the average around five to six months, earlier for production breeds.

Layer feed has extra calcium in it, and it's convenient if you have a lot of laying hens, but layers can get by just fine with an all flock feed. Many of us have given up feeding layer over long years of keeping chickens because we add baby chicks from time to time, roosters appear as if by magic when we least expect them, and old laying hens "retire".

It gets to be an irritating balancing act since only active laying hens should have layer feed. So I feed Purina Flock Raiser, and all-flock feed, with oyster shell free choice. Even my baby chicks eat the Flock Raiser fermented from day one.

You might consider fermenting your feed. It releases more nutrients from the feed plus natural probiotics. I've been feeding it for many years, and my hens seem to lay more and longer. I have a ten-year old Wyandotte in the nest right now laying an egg.

 

[Chicklady707]

Their bodies won't need extra calcium until they begin to lay, on the average around five to six months, earlier for production breeds.

Layer feed has extra calcium in it, and it's convenient if you have a lot of laying hens, but layers can get by just fine with an all flock feed. Many of us have given up feeding layer over long years of keeping chickens because we add baby chicks from time to time, roosters appear as if by magic when we least expect them, and old laying hens "retire".

It gets to be an irritating balancing act since only active laying hens should have layer feed. So I feed Purina Flock Raiser, and all-flock feed, with oyster shell free choice. Even my baby chicks eat the Flock Raiser fermented from day one.

You might consider fermenting your feed. It releases more nutrients from the feed plus natural probiotics. I've been feeding it for many years, and my hens seem to lay more and longer. I have a ten-year old Wyandotte in the nest right now laying an egg.

If I have a rooster or 2 in my flock of 23, then I shouldn’t be feeding layer feed to them all? The layer feed that I was going to purchase is from a local mill that they mix themselves (15.5% minimum protein, 6% calcium, 3.8% fiber, 3.5% fat and other ingredients). $10.00 for 50 pounds. I have had friends tell me their chickens have done well on this feed.

 

[azygous]

That's correct. Roosters and non-laying hens and pullets prior to point of lay should not be getting much more than 1% calcium in their feed. Too much calcium may be hard on the kidneys and liver, and could cause long term damage to organs.

People who feed layer feed to all their flock perhaps butcher chickens before long term organ damage is recognized.

 

[Chicklady707]

That's correct. Roosters and non-laying hens and pullets prior to point of lay should not be getting much more than 1% calcium in their feed. Too much calcium may be hard on the kidneys and liver, and could cause long term damage to organs.

People who feed layer feed to all their flock perhaps butcher chickens before long term organ damage is recognized.

I guess it depends if I get a “good” rooster or not. Maybe I can have the mill mix just 1% calcium in the feed and then offer oyster shells on the side for the laying hens. Would that be a good solution? I don’t want to “hurt” a good rooster (if I am lucky enough to get one).

 

[azygous]

If the mill is that accommodating, that plan would work. The protein is kind of low, 18% being the desired minimum, 20% would be closer to what you'd want, though.

Again, many, many people do not keep chickens for the long term, so these two elements are not crucial except for long term. Low protein can be an issue that contributes to behavior problems, including laying hens, when some chickens will resort to feather plucking and eating to make up for the deficiency. That's not to say it will be an issue, just that low protein risks being an issue.