Feed question for 14 week olds

[ChickieFamily]

Hi

We still have our newbie chicks separated from the first flock who are now 2 years old.

Reason being food.

Can the 14 week olds eat layer food yet with the big girls?

 

[my sunwolf]

You should probably wait until the little ones are laying before feeding layer food--the high amount of calcium in it can mess with their growing bodies. Consider creating a feeder that just the hens can get to, if possible, and another one that just the pullets can get to, each with separate feed (but watch out because hens LOVE chick or grower feed).

 

[ChickieFamily]

Ok. I will wait . 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

 

[speckledhen]

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.