Feed 24/7 or no?

[sniper338]

Just moved some juvenile birds to a bigger pen. Do i let em have all yhe grower they want? Or cut off the feed in the evenings?


Water i assume 24/7 as much as they want...

 

[Free as a Bird]

Yes, I have always let my chickens have access to food all the time. I give mine special treats in the morning, but regular food all day long!

 

[Lilyput]

Hey, Free as a Bird, how old is a juvenile? (fully feathered? 8 weeks?) Thanks.

 

[Free as a Bird]

That is a really good question Lilyput... I would guess from the time they are fully feathered to the time they start laying eggs? I'm not sure though...

 

[Lilyput]

I actually have a different issue and got a lot of help on the question of birds going outside. I happen to have 4-- 4 week old chicks in a dog crate outside with 2-- 8 week old pullets. They have one of those holland warmers (square with heat emanating from top down). All birds have been doing great outside, but even the older pullets go under the warmer at night. (The dog crate is in a covered shack (open on one end) which also houses my coop with 6 adult layers. The adult layers also free range all day.

From reading the other site, I'm going to add the two pullets to my adults Wednesday night, and leave the four chicks in the crate for another couple of weeks. My temperatures here over the next week will be 60's during the day and 40-50 overnight. I really need to get the two fully feathered pullets out from under the heater. Thanks.

I think he is using "juvenile" to mean fully feathered Pullet.

 

[red horse ranch]

I actually have a different issue and got a lot of help on the question of birds going outside. I happen to have 4-- 4 week old chicks in a dog crate outside with 2-- 8 week old pullets. They have one of those holland warmers (square with heat emanating from top down). All birds have been doing great outside, but even the older pullets go under the warmer at night. (The dog crate is in a covered shack (open on one end) which also houses my coop with 6 adult layers. The adult layers also free range all day.

From reading the other site, I'm going to add the two pullets to my adults Wednesday night, and leave the four chicks in the crate for another couple of weeks. My temperatures here over the next week will be 60's during the day and 40-50 overnight. I really need to get the two fully feathered pullets out from under the heater. Thanks.

I think he is using "juvenile" to mean fully feathered Pullet.

Even adult birds enjoy getting under a warm light when it's cold outside. I have 2 old chickens (6 & 8 years old) in a coop by themselves with a small heat lamp. They always sleep under the heat light. Do they need it? No. But it makes me feel better when the temp is single digits like it was a few days ago.
Your 8 week old chicks aren't that much past babyhood. And even tho they are now juveniles they still enjoy the comfort and security of being warm at night. As long as the littlest ones are still able to keep warm at night then keeping them together shouldn't really be a problem. But if the older ones are crowding them away from the heat then they should be moved in with adults. They are old enough.

 

[sniper338]

There i am referring to that i call juvenile are fully feathered, 7 weeks old, been out of the brooder for a while... i dont give them heat anymore... its gotten down to 32 degrees already here at night once now, they just huddle... they dont need heat. Just gotta stay out of the wind..

They are in the pen with a 3 month old roo.. they cuddle under his wings and around him... its pretty cute lol. They do fine..

 

[Pork Pie]

Just moved some juvenile birds to a bigger pen. Do i let em have all yhe grower they want? Or cut off the feed in the evenings?


Water i assume 24/7 as much as they want...

Hi, - once chickens go to their roosts on an evening, they stay there until daybreak. If you are not using a source of artificial lighting there is no need for them to have access to food once they have "gone to bed".

I keep both food and water out of the coop (they free range during daylight hours, which is a solid 12 hours a day here) and so when they decide its bedtime, they go and roost and do not move until i open the door in the morning.

CT

 

[Lilyput]

I really appreciate this information. It's making me rethink what I've done. After tonight, I may let them forage outside during the day and put them back in with the chicks at night. By the way, the introduction to the rest of the flock was a near disaster. The older hens attacked the two pullets with a vengeance, so the pullets are now in a seperate coop and run area for two weeks until I try introducing them to the existing flock again.

 

[red horse ranch]

I really appreciate this information. It's making me rethink what I've done. After tonight, I may let them forage outside during the day and put them back in with the chicks at night. By the way, the introduction to the rest of the flock was a near disaster. The older hens attacked the two pullets with a vengeance, so the pullets are now in a seperate coop and run area for two weeks until I try introducing them to the existing flock again.

When I am trying to integrate new birds into the flock I will do it gradually. When the juveniles are moved into the henhouse they are put into an inside pen where the older birds can see them and get used to them being there. But they can't harass them. I will open the door to the juvenile pen only a few inches so that the young ones can get in and out easily but the adults can't get in. I call this having a safe area to escape to when the adults get too rough. It may take a while for the young ones to become part of the flock. My young ones are usually close to full grown around 4 months old before they are really accepted.
I don't know how big your adult coop is but if you can just section off a corner with a piece of fence or something you can create a safe area for the new ones. But if it was me, I would keep them with the 4 week olds until they are all old enough to integrate with the adults together.