As our annual poultry-ordering season starts to wind down (still taking orders for July deliveries of baby chicks and white turkeys; still taking orders for 17-week-old started pullets), it's a good time to start thinking about the process of raising chickens beyond the baby-chick stage. Many of our customers visit our store after having their chicks for a few weeks and ask, "what's next?" Most often they're concerned about issues such as when they should transition to the next stage in their poultry feeding program, or when it's safe to allow their brids to roam outside or be put into the outdoor coop, etc.
As far as feeding goes, Blue Seal Feed Co. recommends the following feeding program for laying hens:
>0-8 weeks - Chick Starter-AM (medicated) or Chick N' Gamebird Starter/Grower (non-med)
>8-20 weeks (or first egg) - Grower-Cal (available in mash or pellets)
>20+ weeks - Layer (mash or pellets) or Egg Maker Crumbles
The good news is that this information is covered in our FREE poultry-raising workshops. So if you're looking for information on raising and keeping your poultry, we invite you to contact us with your questions. In addition, the link below to an article provided by the UNH Cooperative Extension provides a great overview on raising your birds:
ARTICLE: Producing Your Own Eggs - UNH Cooperative Extension
Good luck and happy poultry raising!
