Can I feed broiler feed to both Laying hens and chicks?

[GoChick]

I know chicks cannot eat layer's feed because of the extra calcium. The problem is that I have a hen with 7 chicks and is really difficult to feed her and her chicks separatelly from the other hens. they always end up finding the hen's feed.

All my hens and chicks free range all day long, and I read on some posts here that free ranging chickens benefit from a higher protein feed.

So I was planning to feed a 19% protein to both hens and chicks and then make oyster shell available to the laying hens, close to their nestboxes, where the chicks cannot access.

This is the feed I'm planning to use: http://www.countrysideorganics.com/product.php?productid=134&cat=12&page=

Crude protein, minimum..............................................19.00%
Crude fat, minimum.......................................................2.00%
Crude fiber, maximum...................................................6.00%

What do you think?

 

[Elite Silkies]

I feed a 20% start/grow feed and add oyster shell for the hens. The feed looks good to me, but there is no way I would pay almost $26 got 55 lbs of feed. Or should I say, I can't afford that feed

You can also feed flock raiser or game bird feed. You can get gamebird in 24-28% protein, much cheaper. Gamebird feed at my feedstore has gone up about $4 a bag. It's $18 now.

 

[GoChick]

thanks - I know, expensive feed, but I have some customers for my eggs that have thyroid issues and can't have any soy, so they pay extra for eggs from hens fed soy-free feed... go figure... it pays for the feed, tough, so I'm fine ;-) do you know if the game feed is soy free?