Can I start them on layer feed?

[ChirpyChicks1]

It's 110% up to you. How long before you leave? Obviously you don't want to throw them in with the big hens the same day you're leaving, never can tell how they will all handle each other. I would never give a chicken younger than 18wks layer feed but also, just because it's been done in the past does not mean that it can't actually cause problems for other chicks or even cause problems for the chickens when they are older (shorter life span)

Where are these younger chicks held? If they are in a coop or at least a big brooder then I'd buy them bigger containers. How will the big hens be getting their food/water?

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

This is why feed companies produce feeds that the entire flock can eat. Just lock down the Layer in a good sealed tub and break it out a month from now. Meanwhile, pick up some good All Flock or Flock Raiser, or a Grower that is 16-18% protein and have the brother feed them all. Done. There is no magic in Layer feed, only the marketing of convenience, that's all.

There are lots and lots of folks who never feed Layer. As long as the hens have a bowl of calcium supplement to pick at as their bodies demand it, all is well. Young birds don't normally fuss with the calcium.

Great advice!

 

[DavidKerk]

Great advice!

I agree! I think that's what I'll do! Thanks so much Fred!

 

[Shades of Blue]

since i have a rooster in with my hens I myself feed a 17% flock grower and free choice oyster shell. Then I don't have to buy all different bags of feed. Roosters and young birds should not have to much calcium so this is a win win situation. Then when I move young pullets into the pen everything is good until they start to lay.

I do agree that you should move your young birds in right away so they are settled before you leave. that's my two cents worth......lol.

 

[xmonster0]

here is the money shot from your link

Feeding different age groups together.​

Given the power and force of chicken math, chickens of mixed age groups often occupy the same living space at any given time, which raises the question of how to feed them. This situation isn't ideal, but it's not unique either. Providing unmedicated starter/grower to a flock of mixed age birds with calcium available free-choice to the layers is the best solution. The additional protein in the starter/grower ration won't hurt the older birds, but calcium contained in layer feed could damage the kidneys of growing birds.





notice the "Could" before damage the kidneys of growing birds. this is saying that a very young bird that should be on starter (up to 8 weeks) are not recommended to be eating layer

these birds are merely weeks 3-5 weeks short of being on layer anyways.

I'm telling you especially if its short term , this isn't gonna hurt your chickens one bit, just put em all together and keep your feeding simple

since someone else will be doing it. "oh geez"

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

Oh geez

To each their own, that's alright. I will go with what is proven, you can do what you'd like but I'd hate to think of someone taking that advice and something bad happening to their chicks. That is all, many many people come here looking for advice and take the first thing said to them as the honest to goodness truth. But I haven't said anything mean to you so please don't be rude to me.

 

[debid]

I feed grower to my whole flock right now because I added juveniles to laying hens last month. I switched the adults to grower when their feed ran out a couple weeks prior to the merge and they LOVE the grower feed. A cup of oyster shell hangs in the run and I don't see any of the non-layers touching it. Not a big deal. The merge, OTOH... It took a couple weeks for everyone to settle in and that was with the groups being housed side-by-side for months and ranging together. So, I would also suggest sooner than later so they get through the ugliness.

 

[AbbyTravers]

I don't believe that the feed will hurt them. But how old our your chicks and how big? Because that may matter if they don't get along with the big hens or roosters.

 

[DaveMorey]

The bigger concern is adding the juveniles to your coop I would think. I know when I did it It took me two weeks of housing them side by side in the coop with a fence separating them. Even when I took the fence down after two weeks I had some second thoughts. I ended up putting food and water both in the coop and outside so there was access either way if some were getting bullied. I also introduced some scratch feed at this point to as a distraction. This seemed to help in the short term at least.

 

[xmonster0]

chickens establish pecking order, so the first couple hours or day they will seem to be agressive toward one another , it is just establishing dominance, and its gonna happen no matter what , i think its best to wait until they are at least 70% of the size of your older chickens before you put them in or it could be too rough on them. but i woulden't worry unless there is alot of ganging up