25/08/2026
DAY 20/30: Your Pullets Are Approaching Point of Lay: What Should You Feed?
Getting your first egg is exciting.
But the feeding programme around point of lay is extremely important.
Your pullets are transitioning from growth to egg production, and their nutritional requirements are changing.
1️⃣ Introduce Pre-Layer Feed Around 16 Weeks
As your pullets approach point of lay, pre-layer feed can be introduced from around 16 weeks, depending on the flock’s development and management programme.
Pre-layer feed helps prepare the birds for the nutritional demands of egg production.
It can be continued until the flock reaches about 5–10% production.
What If Pre-Layer Feed Isn’t Available?
Don’t panic.
You can continue with the grower feed until the flock reaches approximately 5–10% production, then transition to layer feed.
However, once they enter production, their calcium requirements increase significantly.
So if you’re continuing grower feed during this transition, appropriate calcium supplementation may be needed, based on the overall diet and veterinary/nutritionist guidance.
2️⃣ Calcium Becomes Very Important
Once egg production starts increasing, your birds need sufficient calcium for eggshell formation.
Poor calcium nutrition can contribute to:
❌ Thin or weak shells
❌ Poor shell quality
❌ Increased egg breakage
❌ Production problems
But remember, more calcium isn’t always better.
The entire diet needs to be properly balanced.
3️⃣ Don’t Forget Water
As production increases, water becomes even more important.
Provide clean, fresh water continuously and monitor consumption.
A sudden reduction in water intake can be an early warning sign.
4️⃣ Start Monitoring Production
Once your birds begin laying, record your daily egg production.
Track:
Eggs collected
Feed consumed
Water consumption
Mortality
Production percentage
This allows you to see whether your flock is progressing as expected.
Don’t wait until production drops before you start keeping records.
Your records should tell you what’s happening on your farm while you still have time to respond.
Tomorrow, we’ll talk about egg production percentage, how to calculate it and why counting crates alone doesn’t tell you enough about your flock’s performance.
My Complete Guide to Profitable Layer Production covers the entire process, including the feeding programme, pre-layer transition, vaccination, medication, debeaking, lighting, weekly weight tracker, flock uniformity, cost calculations and profit margins.
Comment “LAYERS” and I’ll send you the details.