Chicks and adult chickens in the same coop?

[reddirtbirds]

Alright I’ve got nine chicks in a brooder right now and they’ve sort of out grown it. They’re nearly two months old and fully feathered. I’m needing to move them outside. I’ve had chicks in the same free ranging areas as my adult birds before but never in the same enclosures. My only concern is feed. I’ve still got these guys on starter and my adults are on laying feed. I’ve heard that putting pullets on laying feed too soon can cause liver issues. Is this true?

 

[Mamatomany123]

Yes, that's true. I feed all of my chickens all flock and provide oyster shells for the laying girls. You'll also want to do a slow introduction. Just throwing them in there can cause some deaths. See but no touch.

 

[Duckman77]

My younger pullets go in a dog crate inside the run at night with their own food and water. In the morning the adults and pullets are all let out to free range together. This has worked perfectly for us so far.

 

[Mmanist]

I usually do 2 weeks in a dog crate, then let them out supervised together for a couple hrs. Usually after 2 weeks, there isn't much conflict. If there has been minimal pecking happening. I do a final "good luck hope you survive" at night, and 99% of the time, all is well by morning! Now, I've never really introduced a grown bird into the flock. Its been teenagers, so maybe there is some difference there.

 

[NatJ]

My only concern is feed. I’ve still got these guys on starter and my adults are on laying feed. I’ve heard that putting pullets on laying feed too soon can cause liver issues. Is this true?

Yes, the amount of calcium that is right for laying hens is high enough to cause trouble for growing chicks.

The simple solution: just feed starter to all of them. Provide oyster shell in a separate dish, so the adults can get their calcium that way. (Chicks will generally not eat enough oyster shell to hurt themselves. They might sample it, but apparently it does not taste good until they grow up and need the calcium.)

Or you could put out both kinds of feed and let them choose, although I predict they will all eat the chick starter if you do that

 

[reddirtbirds]

My only hen that was in my coop/run area got bumble foot so while she’s being treated her and her rooster pall are in an indoor enclosure in my family’s barn. So I went ahead and let the chicks have rule of the adult pen. I’ll be transitioning everyone to an all flock feed in the next few weeks before everyone gets officially introduced. I’d had the young ones in a pen next to my run for about a week so they’re at least used to the idea of each other but I’ll still be taking introduction VERY slow lol. I don’t want any fights