Are these "chicks" big enough to eat layers pellets with all my other hens?

[Thebossbaby]

They were all different breeds, I had a few comets, a RR, and some roosters

 

[Thebossbaby]

Idc really about life span as long as they lay for me, and as long as they r not in pain. I think I'm going to move them and just hope it works out with the layer feed. Now, I've introduced all types of chickens before, except chicks.... how do I add them to the flock without them getting beat up and maybe even killed?

 

[Farmgirl47]

The extra minerals and calcium in layer feed can damage their kidneys when fed too early.

I can understand that.
But we didn't really have any way of separating at that time to feed differently, so we practically had to feed it to them.

I was just saying, that as far as we could tell, our chickens were fine, and they lived a happy healthy life until we butchered them at 4-6 years old.

Now we feed a different type of feed that almost any age chickens can eat.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Some say you can, some say you can't, some say to feed this, some say to feed that, LOL. Listen is not recommended to feed them layer until----yep--- they are laying. Some chicks start eating layer at 1 day old---if they are with the flock, some worry about that and feed All Flock----some do not worry-----you are Not going to get a straight answer that everyone agrees on. If you can control what they eat---good, if not don't worry about it---if you want to switch to all flock----go for it. Layer is Not going to kill your young chickens.

Oh let me add one more thing to think about. My Chicks NEVER eat Layer until---they start laying, because My chicks are never mixed with older chickens---so I can control that.

 

[red horse ranch]

Why take a chance! And what's your hurry about making them eat layer feed before they need it? I doubt if your pullet is 3 months old yet. I agree with those who say 'Don't do it'. I've raised hundreds of young chickens. I have quite a few 7 to 10 year old hens. They were never fed layer mix until around 4 months old.
My brood hens eat baby food with their chicks. Brood hens don't need layer if they aren't laying.

 

[lazy gardener]

I can understand that.
But we didn't really have any way of separating at that time to feed differently, so we practically had to feed it to them.

I was just saying, that as far as we could tell, our chickens were fine, and they lived a happy healthy life until we butchered them at 4-6 years old.

Now we feed a different type of feed that almost any age chickens can eat.

My understanding is that the study regarding calcium content in layer feed being an issue for birds not in lay was based on BROILER CHICKS. Broilers are already predisposed to all sorts of systemic problems. It's no wonder that they showed signs of renal failure. They might have shown the same lab values if fed only grower feed. The study quoting the problem is not appropriate to the back yard flock. In no way am I stating that one SHOULD give layer feed to chicks. But, I do suggest that feeding layer to birds that are entering puberty, (as evidenced by their voice change) will not be harmed by eating layer feed, and just might benefit from the extra calcium so they can lay down some good mineralization in their skeletal system to help them along in leaner times to come.

FG47 has good testimony based on the facts that she saw in her layer flock that layer feed does not hurt a chicken if provided before POL.

As for my flock, I provide layer at any point of time when they are entering puberty. I base MY decision on my own observation that roosters often spend their whole adult life on layer feed. And roosters never lay eggs, yet are often the healthiest birds in the flock in spite of their (supposedly) lethal calcium consumption. Most roosters live until they die of old age, or they meet the crock pot or a predator. An other observation: free range flocks have a diet that is high in plant based calcium. If calcium consumption caused renal failure to the extent that "they say" it does, then... back yard free range flocks would all be dropping dead, or taking tri-weekly trips to the local dialysis unit.

 

[Farmgirl47]

My understanding is that the study regarding calcium content in layer feed being an issue for birds not in lay was based on BROILER CHICKS. Broilers are already predisposed to all sorts of systemic problems. It's no wonder that they showed signs of renal failure. They might have shown the same lab values if fed only grower feed. The study quoting the problem is not appropriate to the back yard flock. In no way am I stating that one SHOULD give layer feed to chicks. But, I do suggest that feeding layer to birds that are entering puberty, (as evidenced by their voice change) will not be harmed by eating layer feed, and just might benefit from the extra calcium so they can lay down some good mineralization in their skeletal system to help them along in leaner times to come.

FG47 has good testimony based on the facts that she saw in her layer flock that layer feed does not hurt a chicken if provided before POL.

As for my flock, I provide layer at any point of time when they are entering puberty. I base MY decision on my own observation that roosters often spend their whole adult life on layer feed. And roosters never lay eggs, yet are often the healthiest birds in the flock in spite of their (supposedly) lethal calcium consumption. Most roosters live until they die of old age, or they meet the crock pot or a predator. An other observation: free range flocks have a diet that is high in plant based calcium. If calcium consumption caused renal failure to the extent that "they say" it does, then... back yard free range flocks would all be dropping dead, or taking tri-weekly trips to the local dialysis unit.

Thank you so much! That really helped, and I never gave any thought to the roosters eating layer feed, but that makes sense!

 

[Thebossbaby]

Ok so right now I have my chicks in my transporter cage and they are inside the big pen. As far as I know they are all girls but the rooster from the original flock keeps trying to fight the smaller ones and the smaller a ones are trying to fight back, they are in a cage tho but still trying to peck at each other, is this normal for hens to fight roosters?

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes.