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The Right Nutrition at the Right Time for Layers

feeding chickens

Timing is everything when it comes to feeding your laying hens. Ensuring they have the correct nutrition at just the right time is an important part of having a happy and healthy flock.

Hatch to approximately week 6:

Provide free choice access to a quality chick starter ration as Purina® Gold’N Chick Start & Grow Plus – Fine Crumble or Purina® AMP Purinature Chick Start & Grow Plus – Fine Crumble (Medicated) and make clean fresh water available at all times. Proper nutrition in this critical growth stage will impact the performance of the chicken for their entire lifespan. Purina® Gold’N Chick Start & Grow Plus – Fine Crumble has FlockForce™ that helps maintain a healthy gut to support the absorption of nutrients, while optimizing the flock’s health, immune system, and performance, and reduces the incidence of pasty butt. Use a heat lamp to keep birds warm and provide 1 sq. foot per chick.

Approximately 6 weeks to 16 weeks:

Continue to provide free choice access to Purina® Gold’N Chick Start & Grow Plus – Fine Crumble or Purina® AMP Purinature Chick Start & Grow Plus – Fine Crumble (Medicated) and water. If you choose to feed treats (scratch grains, kitchen scraps, etc.), put out what birds will consume in about 15 minutes once per day. This is a good guide to follow to make sure treats don’t exceed 10% of the total diet. Add treats only after week 6. If birds have access to anything other than a crumble or pellet, provide grit free choice in a separate feeder.

16 weeks +:

Now is the time to switch to layer feed! Provide one of the Purina® Gold’N Layena Plus or Purina® Purinature Layena Plus options and grit free choice along with access to clean fresh water at all times. Treats can be provided at no more than 10% of the diet.

All Purina® Gold’N Layena Plus feeds have scientific studies that the combination of FlockForce™ and a range of ingredients balanced at the right level promotes better performance and better egg quality.

  • Postbiotic and prebiotic support gut health,
  • Optimizing digestion and nutrient absorption for better performance,
  • Higher nutrient absorption to promote healthy egg weight and size
  • Golden egg yolks from natural pigmentation extract.
  • Organic trace minerals and vitamin D3 promote calcium absorption and strong eggshells.
  • Quillaia extract aids in the control of manure odour.

At this point, for backyard hens, the oyster shell is suggested to be available as a free choice to provide supplemental calcium. Adult birds require approximately 3-4 sq. feet of space per bird in the coop; you also need to plan on one nesting box for every 4-5 hens.