Can Roos and Hens Eat the Same Feed?

[Barry Natchitoches]

I've got 5 fifteen week old pullets and 1 fifteen week old roo. I also have 4 older hens.


Right now, the fifteen week old babies live in a chicken tractor, and the older hens live in the main chicken coop. They meet in the afternoons in the yard, where they are allowed to mingle and play together, but the two age groups are still separated when they are not in the yard free ranging.


The older hens eat layer pellets, while the younger chickens currently eat chicken starter crumbles. But in a week or two, I plan to begin to add some layer pellets into the younger girls crumbles, so that I can gradually move them into big girl feed.


But what about the roo? If he is going to live in the big chicken coop with the nine hens, he is going to have to be able to eat layer feed. There is no way I can set up a female feed area, and a male feed area.


Can a roo eat layer pellets safely?


How do some of the rest of you who have roos in the hen house deal with the issue of food?


Thanks in advance for your help and insights.

 

[hikerchick]

It never occured to me to feed the roos something different. Is there such a thing as rooster food?

 

[gritsar]

My rooster eats what my hens eat, layer pellets.

 

[giasmom]

Same here. Roo eats layer feed but seems to eat more scratch & scraps than the girls.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
How funny. My rooster never gets any of the scraps. I hand him some and he turns around and hands (beaks?) whatever I give him to the closest hen. He knows what side his bread is buttered on.

The only exception to this rule is when the figs are ripe. He loves them so much he hoards all he can.

 

[chickenbottom]

Quote:
How funny. My rooster never gets any of the scraps. I hand him some and he turns around and hands (beaks?) whatever I give him to the closest hen. He knows what side his bread is buttered on.

The only exception to this rule is when the figs are ripe. He loves them so much he hoards all he can.

lol mine does that too i think its sweet he gets himself some every now and again but usually he gives it to the girls

 

[giasmom]

Quote:
How funny. My rooster never gets any of the scraps. I hand him some and he turns around and hands (beaks?) whatever I give him to the closest hen. He knows what side his bread is buttered on.

The only exception to this rule is when the figs are ripe. He loves them so much he hoards all he can.

lol mine does that too i think its sweet he gets himself some every now and again but usually he gives it to the girls

I say this because he gets fed by hand alot the girls don't. He's more people oriented, hince more treats.

 

[speckledhen]

The calcium in layer feed can be detrimental to a rooster over time, they say. It's just too hard to feed him something different when he lives with the ladies. There are feeds for roosters, and I have used them on occasion, like with my own crippled rooster who eats separately from the others.

 

[Mahlzeit]

I've always just had mine eating the same thing as his ladies.