The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Andt on May 29, 2013, 09:48:56 pm
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I have 10 pullets around 15 weeks old, when should I move them from feeding growers pellets to layers?
Thanks
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Now
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Whenever you like it'll make little or no difference.
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or not at all.... ;D ... I moved away from layers pellets last year (just use castle farm recipe of 2pt wheat/1pt cut maize//1 part rolled barley and they free range and have access to additional shell grit) because of not knowing whats in them (especially after watching Hughs fish fight). Customers very happy to know exactly what goes into making their eggs (as are we)!
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or not at all.... ;D ... I moved away from layers pellets last year (just use castle farm recipe of 2pt wheat/1pt cut maize//1 part rolled barley and they free range and have access to additional shell grit) because of not knowing whats in them (especially after watching Hughs fish fight). Customers very happy to know exactly what goes into making their eggs (as are we)!
How much do you feed and how do you find it compares price wise?
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Thanks all for your advice, I like the idea of just feeding corn, wheat, etc. but as my birds are penned in a large enclosure there is not a lot of additional food for them to eat, the odd worm, slug and caterpillar i they're lucky. My birds have access to grit and they pellets are only fed in the shed while there is only corn being fed in the run.
Bit of a surprise earlier I went to shut the pullets up and noticed that one has escaped in to the main run and when checking the shed and duck house I found a very small egg, upon checking the pullets house I found another 2 eggs. I didn't think hens started laying until around 19+ weeks, not that I'm complaining :) .
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ah - id be at a loss for alternatives if penned (I think they do get a lot of greenery and protein when they are out and about). Rosemary, I don't know how much /hen - need to work that out - but it is a bit cheaper I think (that isn't my reason though) - I put enough in 2 feeders in their coop in the evening to last them till I let them out in morning (about 2-3 x pint jugs for 13 hens and a cockrel) - They are in concrete and brick based coop and I'm pretty confident no rodent visitors so am able to do this (although I know its against advice putting feeders in the coop). When we ad libbed pellets (feeders topped up all the time - we couldn't keep up with the pheasants/squirrels (not to mention sheep) pinching it!
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I normally feed the ducks on whole barley but lately have been giving them layers pellets and barley 50/50.
On pure barley we were getting around 4 or 5 eggs a day after giving them the pellets the girls upped production to 12 to 14 eggs a day.
Not sure if doubling the feed costs are worth the extra eggs as when we get too many we just give them away to friends and family :thinking:
One thing for sure pellets give you more eggs than grain alone.
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or not at all.... ;D ... I moved away from layers pellets last year (just use castle farm recipe of 2pt wheat/1pt cut maize//1 part rolled barley and they free range and have access to additional shell grit) because of not knowing whats in them (especially after watching Hughs fish fight). Customers very happy to know exactly what goes into making their eggs (as are we)!
We do the same Fi :thumbsup:
As for the answer to the OP question....if you asked CF about layers pellets he'd more than likely say...not until they start laying .................I could of course be wrong :sunshine:
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Not until the first one lays Andt. Layers pellets have additional Calcium (about 3%) which young birds are not tolerant of. Rearers have about 1% for bone development. So switch over at about 21 weeks.
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Thanks Chris,
I'm guessing that you haven't read all the posts as I have mentioned that at least one of these pullets has started to lay, I've had around 4 eggs this week from them. At the moment I'm feeding a mix of growers, corn and layers.
I was pretty surprosed to find eggs in the coop of 15 week old pullets as I thought they wouldn't lay until around 19+ weeks?
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Amazing Andt. Are you sure they are 15 weeks? Still, layers pellets now then.
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I was very happy and surprised when I found the eggs in their coop last week and to top it off their first 2 eggs were both double yolkers.
I originally bought the chicks from a grower I have used several times as day olds, they were more likely around 1-3 days old. No feathers at all when I first got them just fluff, feathers started to appear on the wings after their first week with me.
To be honest their crowns and wattles have been very red for around 2 weeks which I was told was a sign of laying hens, if I hadn't grwon them on myself I would have thought they were older, they are quite big birds as well.