[nuzuki]

I wondered how other people are raising chicks here. I do the following, chick crumb up until 8 weeks, then growers pellets till 16-18weeks. I mix the growers with layers pellets for almost a week so by the 18th week they are on layers ready for laying around 20-24weeks with any luck. I wondered if anyone else does it slightly differently? i.e. switching them onto layers earlier to get eggs sooner but from smaller chickens or alternatevely keeping them on growers for longer.

Also on a side note can you use mixed corn instead of finishers pellets? Ive not used finishers pellets before, are they considered a waste of money?

Thanks

[ANHBUC]

You are fine with the timings of chick crumb to growers but I was advised on here to leave them on growers until they start to lay and then put them on layers.

Finishers are used for meat birds so you would feed them instead of layers and it would depend on the breed as to when you changed them over.  I believe that corn is usually fed for the last few days on meat birds to improve the flavour.

[JaK]

I feed chick crumb until 8 weeks, growers from 8 weeks until I need to switch them. Pullets get fed layers pellets when I move them into the big run, which can be any time from 18 weeks upwards really.

Growers we intend on using for the table get growers from 8 weeks with some mixed corn in the evening (this becomes slightly larger amounts each week, as they mature to fatten them up). I give mixed corn to fatten them as they are usually pure breeds that are often not really table birds at all, we just don't want to waste the unwanted cockerels.

[Squibbs]

My meat birds start off on crumb then growers then corn - I've never used finishers - they average about 3.2kg. Has anyone compared using finishers or not in terms of taste and weight  - is there much difference?
 

[Sassy]

Feeding layers early will not have any affect as to when they start to lay

[nuzuki]

Thanks for the replies. I thought id read not to eat a chicken who'd been eating growers pellets and to put them on finishers for a week prior to eating. I have eaten one that was on growers and I lived to tell the tale but I imagine theres something in the growers that isnt meant for our tummys. For the small amount of chickens I raise I would put them on corn for the final week. Often I dont have a week to decide it will be a case of I run out of room for the chicken or two boys start fighting and I need to make a snap decision.

[JaK]

That only applies if you have been feeding the medicated ACS growers, non medicated growers is fine to use until they are ready for the table.

[ANHBUC]

I don't use medicated chick crumb or growers for the same reason.  There is always a chance my layers might pinch their food as well and the eggs would be affected.