Adding New Pullets To My Flock.......

[Den in Penn]

I just read some posts regarding putting pullets with adult chicks, and while it seems that the "pecking order" issue is the main issue, I was more wondering about the feeding issue. The pullets are still on pullet food while the adults are obviously on adult food. What is the suggestion there? I have the adults in the coop and the pullets in a cage next to the coop, but when I open up the coop in the morning for them to free range, I also open up the pullets' cage. I have a fence around it that is kind of slotted where the smaller kids can get in and out and hopefully the adults will stay away from their food. It's working pretty well so far, however, now the pullets are going into the coop and roosting or checking it out and the hens and both in and out. There doesn't seem to be any fighting (so far) but, like I said, I'm wondering about the food issue if I were to put them all in the coop. Any thoughts would help. Thanks.

The most common way to solve this is to feed them all the grower feed with a calcium supplement on the side for the adults. There is nothing wrong with the adults eating the chicks feed, its the calcium in the adults layer that is a problem for the non layers.

 

[makrands]

How good was the integration? I am having a problem with mine. New girls are constantly being chased and pecked. Old girls are very protective of food. They are all in the same run which is 12x16. I have 7 old girls golden comets and 6 new ones wyndottes. New ones 5 months old. New ones 15 months old.

 

[Den in Penn]

How good was the integration? I am having a problem with mine. New girls are constantly being chased and pecked. Old girls are very protective of food. They are all in the same run which is 12x16. I have 7 old girls golden comets and 6 new ones wyndottes. New ones 5 months old. New ones 15 months old.

Try adding a second feed and waterer, if you don't have one already. Spreading out the area the old ones are protecting can lessen the food bulling.