What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

My bantams are about ready in age for layers pellets now. I've got a stack of growers pellets still and wondered what the best way of switching them is. Do I just ditch the growers pellets and put them on layers pellets, or add layers pellets in over a certain time period?

[Redwing]

Add the layers over a period of time gradually increasing the ratio

 

Dont waste the growers, they will still be fine on them for some time

[Plum]

I was advised to keep mine on growers until they actually started to lay. I don't know if that is good or bad advice.

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

Ah. I was under the impression there weren't enough laying nutrients in growers pellets so they wouldn't lay until they were on layers pellets. Anyone?

[Chook n Boo Mum]

I was told my 16 weekers would be ok on layers as I had a little layer in with them........just mix the two feeds starting more growers with a few layers until they have all layers 'cos the growers have run out....or do what I did & mix the two types together in the bin & fed that ad lib!!

 

Sha x

[TAJ]

Growers fine until they start laying. Personally mine is more judged by using up a bag than a specific week - if growers will run out in week 18, that is when I start mixing both and move over - if they were at 18 weeks with half a bag of growers I carry on a bit longer. Layers ration will maximise egg production, but a slow start, letting their bodies get use to it is not really an issue on a non-commercial basis is it?

 

Tracy

[Busybird]

I was advised to put my newbies (16 weeks) on growers when I got them. As they share the Eglu and run with my oldies that is what they have all been eating for the last month. We were getting about 12 eggs a week and now get about 9 a week so production is down a little but not too much.

 

The newbies have not yet started to lay. I don't expect to see any eggs for a while as they have not yet grown combs, have yellow legs and do not crouch (I do wonder if they were actually younger than 16 weeks when I got them ). However, I do not think it is necessary to buy another sack of growers so have tipped the remaining third of the sack I have been using into an opened sack of layers and will top up their feed from that.

 

Luckily my chooks don't seem to fussy about what they will eat When I got my omlet girls they went straight onto layers (that is what came with them) and I am sure my newbies must be older than they were by now