Layer feed has extra calcium for strong eggshells. That's exactly what laying hens need, and exactly what growing pullets don't: too much calcium too early can damage young birds' kidneys.
When to switch
Keep your flock on chick starter or a starter/grower until about 18 weeks or the first egg, whichever comes first. Then switch to layer feed. Mixing the old and new feed for a week makes the change easier.
Oyster shell on the side
Offer oyster shell in a separate dish, free choice. Hens that need more calcium will take it; the rest will ignore it.
Getting ready for eggs
- One nest box for every four or five hens, set lower than the roost so they don't sleep in it.
- A little clean bedding in each box.
- A fake egg or golf ball in the nest helps young hens figure out where to lay.
First eggs
Pullet eggs are small, and you may see a few odd ones — soft shells, double yolks, tiny "fairy" eggs. That's normal while their systems settle in. Size and shells improve over the first few weeks.