You'll find folks who go by "the letter of the law" and others who fudge a bit due to circumstances. I fudge when I have only a few youngsters going into a larger group.
I just put four young pullets, one 14 weeks and three who are 12 weeks into the adult bantam coop. They have a feeder with unmedicated chick starter (never will buy that again--way too expensive for the brand I had to get to find no amprolium in it!) mixed with layer pellets.
I also have two youngsters, one who is a 12 week old cockerel and a 15 week old pullet, going into the layers coop in a couple of days. They'll be eating just the layer pellets, nothing added for them special.
If I had a huge group of youngsters going into a coop with some adults, I might buy something other than the usual medicated chick starter they are raised on to add to the feeders, but that feed is much pricier since here. I cannot buy a pullet grower, only Game Bird Flight Conditioner or ridiculously expensive Nutrena non-medicated starter in a 40 lb bag that costs $4 more for 40# than I pay for 50# of medicated Tucker Milling, which is better feed anyway but only comes with amprolium. Rather than feed medicated chick starter to my layers, the few kids will eat layer feed a tad earlier than is optimal.
. Thanks. Separating their food while they mingle together has proven difficult and nearly impossible. Right now we have them set up in runs right next to each other
