I am doing 6 sets of ~34 birds 3 weeks apart. The first chicks are going into their own coop in a week, and each additional set will be added to that coop at roughly 3 weeks old. @ 10 weeks old the layers will be pushed into the main coop with the other layers (some are in their 3rd season, others are in their 1st). Main coop gets scratch, young coop gets grower. All the chicks going into the young coop have had at least 3 weeks of starter.
I give all feed (after they are 2 weeks old) some grit. While they can't forage, there are grasses growing in the coops that they can feed on. All feed is fermented. Adults get scraps(peel, left over veg)
So I accept I am giving them less grower than is recommended, but my first set (from last year) are huge compared to a range fed group I got 6 weeks ago, so I am not convinced that giving the hens grower was a good idea.
My thought was the cull the hens away from the roos so it would be easier to collect the young roos as meat birds, but there's no real reason the hens have to get moved into the main pen. I could keep the roos with the young hens till the roos are actually taken away for processing, and leave the hens there till they get nearly 16 weeks.
Pros, cons, suggestions?
I give all feed (after they are 2 weeks old) some grit. While they can't forage, there are grasses growing in the coops that they can feed on. All feed is fermented. Adults get scraps(peel, left over veg)
So I accept I am giving them less grower than is recommended, but my first set (from last year) are huge compared to a range fed group I got 6 weeks ago, so I am not convinced that giving the hens grower was a good idea.
My thought was the cull the hens away from the roos so it would be easier to collect the young roos as meat birds, but there's no real reason the hens have to get moved into the main pen. I could keep the roos with the young hens till the roos are actually taken away for processing, and leave the hens there till they get nearly 16 weeks.
Pros, cons, suggestions?
