Keeping layer, starter, and grower feeder separate

[Sarah2020]

Hi there!

I'm very new to chickens and have done a TON of research and there's still SO MUCH more to learn... We planned on adopting 5 new chicks from a hatchery February and are on a "chick list" and, out of nowhere, were offered 3, 9-month-old chickens and we decided to adopt them. Sadly, one of them has died so we have 2 9-month old chickens and will now be adopting 4 or 5 hatchlings. One question I haven't been able to find any answers to is how do I separate their feed when they've been integrated into the same coop & run?

Thank you!
Sarah

 

[SweetLittleChicks]

Hi there!

I'm very new to chickens and have done a TON of research and there's still SO MUCH more to learn... We planned on adopting 5 new chicks from a hatchery February and are on a "chick list" and, out of nowhere, were offered 3, 9-month-old chickens and we decided to adopt them. Sadly, one of them has died so we have 2 9-month old chickens and will now be adopting 4 or 5 hatchlings. One question I haven't been able to find any answers to is how do I separate their feed when they've been integrated into the same coop & run?

Thank you!
Sarah

maby make a speprate wire cage so they can see eachother but eat diffrent i have 4 to 5 month year old chicks and its okay to feed them layer pellets. If they reach 4 to 5 months. now if there under 4 to 5 months i would stay away from layer pellets

 

[DobieLover]

Hi there!

I'm very new to chickens and have done a TON of research and there's still SO MUCH more to learn... We planned on adopting 5 new chicks from a hatchery February and are on a "chick list" and, out of nowhere, were offered 3, 9-month-old chickens and we decided to adopt them. Sadly, one of them has died so we have 2 9-month old chickens and will now be adopting 4 or 5 hatchlings. One question I haven't been able to find any answers to is how do I separate their feed when they've been integrated into the same coop & run?

Thank you!
Sarah

I'd be more concerned about the reason for the pullets death. What happened?

 

[mcdze]

you wont be integrating little chicks with mature chickens .. divide your coop as was mentioned above .. basically they wont be eating and sleeping together until theyre past 2 months probably but otherwise can mingle together fine in the run well before then .. so you work out a strategy with the food .. its the main 'trainer' as with any other animal, you work out a strategy that works smooth for your setup and 'you' are part of the flock, the 'manager' as it were .. just setting chickens up where everything is automatic and you ignore them doesnt work out well for a home setup imo ...

 

[oldhen2345]

Hi there!

I'm very new to chickens and have done a TON of research and there's still SO MUCH more to learn... We planned on adopting 5 new chicks from a hatchery February and are on a "chick list" and, out of nowhere, were offered 3, 9-month-old chickens and we decided to adopt them. Sadly, one of them has died so we have 2 9-month old chickens and will now be adopting 4 or 5 hatchlings. One question I haven't been able to find any answers to is how do I separate their feed when they've been integrated into the same coop & run?

Thank you!
Sarah

Just give them All Flock until they reach point of lay then if you only have females, switch to Layer feed. This covers the needs of chickens of all ages. The chicks should have chick feed until they are at least old enough to go outside, then switch to the All Flock. That is how I manage my flock.

 

[DobieLover]

you wont be integrating little chicks with mature chickens .. divide your coop as was mentioned above .. basically they wont be eating and sleeping together until theyre past 2 months probably but otherwise can mingle together fine in the run well before then .. so you work out a strategy with the food .. its the main 'trainer' as with any other animal, you work out a strategy that works smooth for your setup and 'you' are part of the flock .. just setting chickens up where everything is automatic and you ignore them doesnt work out well for a home setup imo ...

Chicks and adult chickens co-habitate all the time. One example.

I also raised a brood in the coop in a built-in brooder. The chicks were mingling and eating with the adult flock at 4.5 weeks old and roosting with them at 7 weeks old.
Flock Raiser, All Flock or chick starter can be fed for life with free choice oyster shell on the side.

 

[Sarah2020]

I'd be more concerned about the reason for the pullets death. What happened?

LONG story...but the three chickens were rehoused from the same farm. These folks were first time chicken owners and got 16 chickens at once and realized they were in over their head. Well, one of the chickens seemed to show sickly symptoms a week after he dropped them off so I separated her and got a vet appointment. They told me she was BADLY emaciated and that this wasn't just over the last week that whatever the root cause issue had been going on for a while because she weighed 2lbs instead of the 4.5-5.5 that she should. The vet said, unfortunately since she's so malnourished she had several things happening with her system and gave us a plan but prepared me that she wouldn't likely live. I held her and gave her liquids constantly but unfortunately she was just too far gone. It was a season for me in how fast you can love a chicken. We only had her 1.5 weeks in total.

 

[Sarah2020]

Just give them All Flock until they reach point of lay then if you only have females, switch to Layer feed. This covers the needs of chickens of all ages. The chicks should have chick feed until they are at least old enough to go outside, then switch to the All Flock. That is how I manage my flock.

Thank you. I've never heard of "All Flock." I'll look into it!

 

[Ascholten]

Be careful about putting them together with that big of an age difference. Chickens have personalities and it can end badly. I had one who was just a miserable bitch, no way to put it otherwise. Id introduce new chickens who were about her size, but younger and she'd just torment them. She actually chased one around the yard, and into the pen, the poor thing was terrified, hopped up into the roosting box and tried to crawl into the corner, with it's head buried in the corner, terrified. This B, got up there and started pulling feathers out of the younger one and eating them. Id keep them separated as much as possible, in different cages etc. But she'd go out of her way to find and torment them. Two of the original 3 chickens eventually merged with the 3 new ones into one big flock, with a pecking order of course, but the one was just a bully to everyone. I got tired of her and she ended up in the cooking pot, long story short, after she about killed one of the younger ones. She couldn't get along with anyone so didn't need to be there. By younger I am talking an established flock of about a year to year and a half old and putting in chickens that were 24 to 30 weeks or so old, so not tiny ones. I ultimately got rid of a few of the other older ones and now have 3 of the youngsters, and Big Red, I call her, a Rhode Island Red, who is a bit of a queen, definitely the Alpha, but has learned that SHE is the one that will be leaving if there is any more trouble. They all get along great now. Another thing that worked is I kept big red in the small cage for a good week or so, with the younger ones the run of the chicken house, where they all could see each other, were right next to each other, but had wire between them. This way when I did put them back together, big red was like the 'new one' to the 3 flock, and it worked out well this time around.

Sorry, didn't mean to make this about me, but just a cautionary tale to make sure they will get along before keeping them all together. The first few weeks, yes of course there will be quibbling etc, as they re establish a pecking order, but always beware the one bully that can really ruin things. If their size is about the same it can be easier because the new ones can fend for themselves better but if there is a significant size difference, make sure there is plenty of room for the little ones to run and hide to get away from the bigger ones if they start to bully.

aaron

 

[nuthatched]

Be careful about putting them together with that big of an age difference. Chickens have personalities and it can end badly. I had one who was just a miserable bitch, no way to put it otherwise. Id introduce new chickens who were about her size, but younger and she'd just torment them. She actually chased one around the yard, and into the pen, the poor thing was terrified, hopped up into the roosting box and tried to crawl into the corner, with it's head buried in the corner, terrified. This B, got up there and started pulling feathers out of the younger one and eating them. Id keep them separated as much as possible, in different cages etc. But she'd go out of her way to find and torment them. Two of the original 3 chickens eventually merged with the 3 new ones into one big flock, with a pecking order of course, but the one was just a bully to everyone. I got tired of her and she ended up in the cooking pot, long story short, after she about killed one of the younger ones. She couldn't get along with anyone so didn't need to be there. By younger I am talking an established flock of about a year to year and a half old and putting in chickens that were 24 to 30 weeks or so old, so not tiny ones. I ultimately got rid of a few of the other older ones and now have 3 of the youngsters, and Big Red, I call her, a Rhode Island Red, who is a bit of a queen, definitely the Alpha, but has learned that SHE is the one that will be leaving if there is any more trouble. They all get along great now. Another thing that worked is I kept big red in the small cage for a good week or so, with the younger ones the run of the chicken house, where they all could see each other, were right next to each other, but had wire between them. This way when I did put them back together, big red was like the 'new one' to the 3 flock, and it worked out well this time around.

Sorry, didn't mean to make this about me, but just a cautionary tale to make sure they will get along before keeping them all together. The first few weeks, yes of course there will be quibbling etc, as they re establish a pecking order, but always beware the one bully that can really ruin things. If their size is about the same it can be easier because the new ones can fend for themselves better but if there is a significant size difference, make sure there is plenty of room for the little ones to run and hide to get away from the bigger ones if they start to bully.

aaron

How long did you allow them to see but not get at each other?
Also, watch your language, please.