How do you feed different age groups?

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ninjapoodles

ninjapoodles

Sees What You Did There
11 Years
May 24, 2008
2,842
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Central Arkansas
If you have chicks and adults living together, how do you feed them all and make sure everyone gets what they need? I can use Flock Raiser for chickens and turkeys up until laying age, but my turkeys and ten of my chickens are now just about at laying age. Would the babies be harmed by being fed Layena?
 
This is a common problem, and this is how I handle it. I feed starter to all of them, because it is more important for the chicks to get the high protein than it is for the the adults to have a lower amount of protein. For the birds that are laying, provide oyster shell for them as free choice. This way you will not be feeding the extra calcium to birds that don't need it, which can be harmful to them. As the chicks get older, you can go to a lower protein, but you never have to go to a layer feed if you provide oyster shells. This way the roosters don't need to eat layer feed either, which is much better for them.
 
Babies really aren't supposed to have too much calcium. I have my mixed age group eating the chick start for now, with oyster shell and grit available as choice foods on the side for the hens. Am thinking of switching to flock feed soon since the chick crumble is so fine & powdery and the welsummers are getting pretty big now.
 
I had this question answered for me about a week ago...I was so lost! I was told that a lot of people just feed flock raiser. I can't find flock raiser in my area, so people suggested that I keep one feeder full of layer and another full of starter and let everybody eat out of both.
 
That won't work ChickenToes, they will eat both that way. The way I mentioned is really the only way to do it when you have them together.
 
I asked a week ago too and was told to just feed start and grow non medicated to both layers and the younger ones. It works...then I let the two hens out to free range 2 hours before the others get to and thats when I will give them their layer food and oystershell so the young ones can't get to it.
 
I use Purina Flock raiser until they are all laying age--I have my younger birds separate so I also have a food dish in their run with Starter crumbles--but since they all free range--I find have one food is best...
 
We built a little shelter and set it up so only the 5 chicks (now 10 weeks old) can get in and placed their food in there. It is also a place where they have a break from the 3 adults. The adults do not harrass them much, but do hog any food/treats tossed into the coop. It is also nice to have a sanctuary for the chicks. I have started hand feeding the chicks and the adults some of their own food when I have a few minutes ensuring some of their dietary needs.
 
Quote:
I wondered, since I've done it for horses for years, about how to build a "creep feeder" for baby chicks. How do you do it? And what about when they get bigger, like half the size of a grown hen?

So, right now, what I have is Gamebird Startena for the Turkeys (they're all the same age), and for the chickens, Start & Grow, plus I have several pounds of oyster shell at the ready.

If you put the oyster shell out as a free-choice supplement, instead of adding it to the ration, will the roosters not eat it?
 

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