How to stop a Roo or juvenile eating layer pellets

[Shan30]

We are going to be picking up some chicks this weekend and I have a few concerns.

I understand that layer pellets are not good for roos and hens the are not laying yet. We have 27 older birds and would like to let everyone be a happy family once the young ones are big enough. My concern is that they would all end up eating the 18% layer pellets and the young ones would get too much calcium. I'm betting we win up with a few boys too.

How do you house hens, Roos an juveniles together and make sure everyone eats the right stuff?

 

[Chris09]

We are going to be picking up some chicks this weekend and I have a few concerns.
I understand that layer pellets are not good for roos and hens the are not laying yet. We have 27 older birds and would like to let everyone be a happy family once the young ones are big enough. My concern is that they would all end up eating the 18% layer pellets and the young ones would get too much calcium. I'm betting we win up with a few boys too.
How do you house hens, Roos an juveniles together and make sure everyone eats the right stuff?

I just feed everyone a Game Bird feed that is around 1.5% calcium and just offer oyster shells in a bowl off to the side.


Chris

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: You don't
You keep them seperate until they can eat the same feeds, or you feed them all "starter"

 

[donrae]

I just feed everyone a Game Bird feed that is around 1.5% calcium and just offer oyster shells in a bowl off to the side.


Chris

This. I feed an all-in-one and offer the oyster shell on the side. The young birds might taste it but they don't eat it. And the rooster doesn't eat it, but he knows the hens like it!

 

[Shan30]

The game bird feed sounds interesting. I'm off to the feed store tomorrow so I'll take a look. I do like what we give them now tho as the older ladies seem to need the extra protein.

I get how keeping the young ladies separate would work but I'm not planning on separating the boys.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: It's not going to hurt roosters to eat layer feed
I was referring to keeping the age groups seperate until they can eat layer pellets

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Too much calcium can hurt a rooster. I would go with Chris and feed a grower/flock raiser or game bird with a calcium source on the side if you have a mixed flock with roosters.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote:
Additional dietary calcium fed to Barred Plymouth Rock roosters reduces blood cholesterol, elevates seminal calcium, and enhances sperm motility, thermo-tolerance and cryosurvivability.

 

[Chris09]

I think that's one of those things that gets repeated a lot,but there isn't much real data to verifiy it.
If you Google it, all you find is chicken forums TALKING about it, and the first three "hits' are threads from here

Most people don't feed roosters seperately, and never have problems
I'd have to see some good scientific studies before I'd worry about it at all.

In fact, here's a study that shows how extra calcium is GOOD FOR ROOSTERS:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20434855

I will have to read a more into the idea of extra calcium being good for roosters but as of now I don't see it being all that good for them.
I do know that since I have put my all roosters on a low calcium (1.5% Ca +/-) feed my hatch rate is higher (+/- 10%), there more active, kidneys are less pale and there over all health is much better.

I have read a few studies and articles that stated, high amount of calcium in a diet fed to non-laying fowl can cause a number of problems including Avian Urolithiasis (Gout).


Quote: From Hy-Line Article http://www.hyline.com/redbook/Health/Gout.html


Quote: From Are excessive calcium levels cutting short the lives of your poultry? http://202.196.80.249/jpkc/myhexiuyuan/gout/008.pdf

Chris

 

[1muttsfan]

Calcium is more of an issue in growing birds than adults. In theory it would be nice to feed roosters separate, in reality that is very difficult to do.

There are whole-flock diets such as Flock Raiser rations that work fine for mixed flocks, just make sure to have calcium available on the side. I have noted that my eggshells were not as strong when hens were fed non-calcium supplemented rations.