debbie26pet Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 what is right? whilst getting th eother bits today for my newly chickens, i was told dont bother with poultry spice or the cider vinger, in which i am gonna invest in. we was advised to get growers pellets for the chickens we go ages rangiing from 12 weeks to 23 weeks. (4 chickens.) we was told we shouldnt put them on growers it will contaminate our eggs by one person another person said load of rubbish, but get the layers and start mixing? i now have a bag of each what am i to do? mix, not mix, stop one etc. wow chickens are harder than babies to start of, but im loving every min of it i got the grit and have put a seperate tub in cage so they can pick of it. gonna worm them tomorrow bought verme, any other tips now were are them chill out pills someone recomended a few days a go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 I change my chicks from growers to layers at about 12-14 weeks - that's because they are then going in with the big girls. You can keep them on grower's until 16-18 weeks, or some say until they start laying. Your chickens are a varied age group so it wouldn't do any harm to give them a mix - whatever you give them, it won't do them any harm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krysia Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 We had the chicks on growers until the girls went in with the other girls. We ate the boys and gave the rest of the growers to the egg laying girls. Its perfectly safe as are the eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iChicken Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 chickens are harder than babies I wouldn't panic too much, I was the same as you 3 months ago. My girlfriend had a few chickens on the farm when she was growing up and she told me most of what was written on the net was designed to keep us spending money. I've now come round to her way of thinking! Our chickens' diet consists of our suitable leftovers, grass & whatever else they eat when they are out of the run and corn. They have layers pellets of course, but a lot of the time they hardly touch them. 3 months ago I would of thought this diet would mean soft shelled eggs (if we got any at all) but our 2 girls are giving us 10 eggs a week and not a single soft shell. Don't get too hung up on extras or which brand of food is best. As long as your chickens have food, water and a bit of freedom they will be happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara123 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Mine where on growers up until last week when they started laying. As I still have about 2 1/2 kg of growers left I have just mixed it with 2 1/2 kg of layers pellets. Once that's all gone they are going to be on 100% layers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara123 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Oops duplicated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 I suggested mixing them 50/50, gradually increasing the ratio of layers pellets to growers pellets just the other day as there was a discussion about your hens being of assorted ages and some of them being quite young, as you will recall. Personally I'd just whack 'em straight on to the layers pellets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 we was told we shouldnt put them on growers it will contaminate our eggs by one person I'm pretty sure that's rubbish! The only problem with growers pellets is that they won't contain enough calcium for your older girls to make strong eggshells. So, as Egluntine suggested, mix the growers and layers pellets about half'n'half until your youngest are a bit older, then switch to all layers. Providing a dish of mixed grit (which contains bits of oyster shell) will help the older girls to get their calcium - or apparently they enjoy a cuttlefish (the sort sold in pet shops for budgies) hung up in their run to peck at. The other thing is, don't feel guilty about buying a few things that will help to keep your hens healthy. Most of us keep chickens as pets, not livestock, and unlike farmers we're not prepared to let the odd one die (or cull the non-layers) for the sake of efficiency. Besides, a bottle of cider vinegar and a tin of poultry spice will last you ages! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 The other thing is, don't feel guilty about buying a few things that will help to keep your hens healthy. Most of us keep chickens as pets, not livestock, and unlike farmers we're not prepared to let the odd one die (or cull the non-layers) for the sake of efficiency. Besides, a bottle of cider vinegar and a tin of poultry spice will last you ages! I agree with Eyren. Debbie, you won't go far wrong if you follow the advice given on this forum. If you have a query, you are quite likely to find the answer in the "stickies" at the top of each section, and in the FAQ section which has been carefully put together to cover the questions that new Omleteers might be likely to ask. Why not have a look there when you have a question. You might find the answer you are looking for straight away and it will stop you worrying and having to wait for someone to post a reply. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 we was told we shouldnt put them on growers it will contaminate our eggs by one person I'm pretty sure that's rubbish! The only problem with growers pellets is that they won't contain enough calcium for your older girls to make strong eggshells. I wondered about the advice not to give growers pellets once they are laying, but I understood it was because non organic growers pellets may contain coccidiostats (sp?). So check the labels first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Yes Snowy, I used chick crumb and growers with ACS (anti-coccidostat) for a while last year but it got too complicated when I started introductions, trying to keep the laying hens away from the feed. I buy feed without ACS now as I think it's mainly for the big breeders where the soil has a lot of contamination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I spoke to Frank at Thorne's about this and he reckons that feeding layers pellets too early can induce laying big eggs before the hen is physically ready, resulting in a risk of prolapse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie26pet Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 im using it mix bag of each will this still do harm? go none of my chusks are laying yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I don't know what the science behind it is apart from it's to do with the proportions of the nutrients. One of my new ones is trying to eat everything to see how it all tastes, easibed, soil, sticks, stones, shredded paper, etc. so unless you put them in a perspex box a la David Blaine, they're bound to eat something else other than their pellets anyway which will change the proportion of nutrients they are receiving. What did they tell you when you bought the chickens? From your first post it sounds like you've been given conflicting advice. I've been told to keep my currently 15-week-old newbies on growers til the end of march, which will take them up to about 20 weeks I suppose, although I'll mix it with layers for the last week. Sorry I can't help you further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie26pet Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 the lady i got them of said she was on growers but was in a pen of adults on layers, she she was getting it all, and prob be best to mix as i bought one hen that was on layers and they thought she may have laid 1-2 eggs ive had none yet, the other 2 she said were same so when i went to buy it the man at the farm shop said mix it but next bag i buy is layers and this mixing wont be a shock to her system moving on to it as she had it in her diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 the lady i got them of said she was on growers but was in a pen of adults on layers, she she was getting it all, and prob be best to mix as i bought one hen that was on layers and they thought she may have laid 1-2 eggs ive had none yet, the other 2 she said were same so when i went to buy it the man at the farm shop said mix it but next bag i buy is layers and this mixing wont be a shock to her system moving on to it as she had it in her diet. Sorry Debbie, could you run that by me again... you'll need to slow down for us oldsters. I'd like to help, but can't really understand what the problem is..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie26pet Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 sometimes i confuse my self, the little ones i have were on growers, but were kept with adults that were on layers. so she ate both, we was advised as we got another chicken that was eating layers to mix, as they were gonna be kept together, now the buff they farm i got her from though tshe may have laid 1-2 eggs there but wasnt sure. she has laid none for us yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Aaaah, thanks. I see. How old is 'the little one'? She should really be exclusively on growers mash or pellets until she starts to lay at about 20 weeks or so. There is a very slight difference in the balance of ingredients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie26pet Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 ive got abag of growers and a bag of layers and they are mixed is that still ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 How old is the chook Debbie? If she is over 14 weeks old, it probably wouldn't make that much difference to her growth if she has mixed pellets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie26pet Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 How old is the chook Debbie? If she is over 14 weeks old, it probably wouldn't make that much difference to her growth if she has mixed pellets. the 4 we have are 2 rhode reds aged 14-16 weeks and the other is 20 weeks, little silki think she a bantam she 14-16 weeks, buff suffolk 23-24 weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Have you got a picture of a buff suffolk? I haven't heard of those before. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I asked this earlier Christian - Debbie posted a pic and she is a buff sussex. Not much comb and wattles though, I'd be surprised if she was laying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Thanks for clearing that up Snowy. I like the look of Buff Sussex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 To be honest Debbie, at that age, it doesn't really matter if they are on a mix of both layers and growers pellets. From what you'd said, I thought she might be quite a bit younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
