SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/chick-switch-layer

When do most pullets switch to layer feed?

Switch at about 18 to 20 weeks, or at the first egg.

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  1. At 1 week
  2. At 18 to 20 weeks or the first egg ✔
  3. At 5 years

Why: Growing pullets need grower feed. When laying starts, around 18 to 20 weeks, they need the extra calcium in layer feed.

Huh, didn't know that: Grower feed is lower in protein than starter, about 15 or 16 percent.

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Why did the pullet wait until 18 weeks? She was not ready to layer.
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References

Answer: At 18 to 20 weeks or the first egg. Growing pullets need grower feed. When laying starts, around 18 to 20 weeks, they need the extra calcium in layer feed.

  1. Oregon State University Extension: How to Feed Your Laying Hens (PNW 477) extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pnw477.pdf
    Start feeding layer feeds at about 18 to 20 weeks of age or when the first egg is laid, whichever occurs first.
    Checked 2026-10-11.
  2. Oregon State University Extension: How to Feed Your Laying Hens (PNW 477) extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pnw477.pdf
    Grower feeds are lower in protein, about 15 or 16 percent
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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