What age for perches/growers pellets?

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I have two 7-week-old growers, a Buff Sussex and a Legbar. They are out in a small grass run during the day and at teatime I return them to the secure run, where they have their own section away from the 'big girls' with a cosy roosting box lined with woodshavings. The box is plenty big enough for them, I used it for a couple of weeks when quarantining my two 16-week-old POLs in March. When should I provide a perch in this box? There is a low perch in their part of the run, which the flighty Legbar hops up on to sometimes, but I think I've read somewhere that they shouldn't be encouraged to perch at night until several weeks older than they are now.
Also, they're still on chick crumb - should I start blending in growers pellets when they're 8 weeks old, aiming for 100% by ten weeks maybe?
I haven't raised chicks for some years, so guidance appreciated.
 
mine have been on growers since they were 3 weeks old so get them straight on to it, unless you have alot of chick crumbs left over? no point wasting them. no rush for a perch they will be fine until at least 16 weeks old.
 
It can affect the keel? bone if they perch early I believe, though I think most people let them perch when they want, unless they are for showing.
 
Thank you - I've mixed enough chick crumb with 50% growers for week 9, then shall have enough left for a 25% mix in Week 10, to use it up. I got them from a well-known breeder who says he always keeps his chicks on crumb until 8 weeks so I expect that's OK. I'll leave the perch for a few weeks until i see them using the one in the run more often.
 
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