36 inherited chickens - need help with a few basics!

[UncleTommy]

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Yup, this makes life so much easier. I just use grower feed because it's easy to find locally. You can even feed laying hens medicated grower (if it's medicated with amprolium) and eat the eggs. Actually they will often get a little more protein if fed grower, which is good. Solve the lower calcium level by offering oyster shell separately; the chicks won't bother it, a small bag is only a few bucks, and it takes mine (14 hens) months to go through a bag. Flock raiser is another all purpose feed for all chickens.

I've read of people using the food coloring on the vent method quite successfully. BTW, if you find the roos just too hard to eat (they certainly don't taste like store bought chicken,) they make fine treats for dogs, cats... and chickens. The traditional recipe for coq au vin called for a two year old rooster.

I wouldn't use medicated on the older birds, some people are weary about drugs in their food (eggs), plus its a bit more expensive than unmedicated...plus i think medicated comes in 18% protein.

oh, its funny you should mention coq au vin, thats the whole reason i got started on this wild chicken ride.

 

[Cosmopolis Chick]

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hi, you've gotten lots of advice and encouragement - I don't have a lot to add.
I'd like to show you how I keep the older hens from eating the chick crumbles:
(in photo an adult hen is picking at a few bits of scratch I threw in for the photo op)

I took to sides from an old ruined baby crib and wired them into the corner of the run - one on top of the other.
Even as day-olds the chickies found the feed dish and Mama and the other hens can't get anything but what the chicks scatter.
Now at 10 weeks old they can barely slip through the bars but they'll have just a bit longer to eat in their in privacy as there's a slightly larger space on each side by the wall of the run. When they can't fit their fat hinyies in any longer they'll be ready for layer pellets.