Feed question...

[blriehl]

I have 9 standard size chicks that are currently 2 weeks old. I also have 6 bantam "chicks" that are 18 weeks old. I have the babies in the brooder at night and during the day I put them outside in the older chickens run... Inside their own chicken wire pen... They are able to see how the other chickens interact and neither groups seem bothered by each other. If anything more interested than I thought. My only concern about letting them mingle (I won't let them until they're at least 10 weeks & can hold their own) is their feed! They older Bantams just finished the grower/finisher and started on the laying crumbles. My babies are still eating their starter feed, but when they are 10 weeks they should be on what my older ones just finished. How do I make sure they get the right nutrients to grow? I want to have them all as laying hens so, would it be terrible to start them on the laying crumbles early? Or can I mix their grower finisher feed and my older hens layer so they both get what they need?

 

[CherishHolland]

One option is switching to an All Flock feed. That is what I have done since I have so many mixed ages

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Yep, put them all on starter/grower or gamebird feed with their oyster shell/calcium source in a separate side dish.

 

[blriehl]

The baby chicks are now 7 weeks old. I've been noticing in te past few days they've stopped eating out if their feeder (starter/grower) and have started to eat the laying feed my older chickens eat. I need to switch them over to the grower/finisher, but how do I get them to stop eating the ther feed??

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

A little isn't going to hurt them. If you're just trying to finish off the layer before you switch to an all flock or gamebird feed, they'll be ok eating it for a little bit. Just leave their proper feed out for them.

Or pen them separately until the layer is gone if its really bothering you

 

[Jakoda]

I'm going to have this issue,,I have 1 year olds,,and 9 week olds/ that I'm integrating,,I will be feeding them ALL grower crumbles, since they just refuse pellets so I can't go with Flock raiser...

In the house I have some 4 week olds and 2 week olds...that will be eventually integrated as well..Everyne will stay on the grower until they start laying, I offer oyster shell on the side..

Thats my plan anyway
Diane

 

[azygous]

A lot of us are currently dealing with this issue. I have a flock ranging in age from five years down to five weeks. Thirteen of the fourteen hens are layers. One is retired, and there is one rooster.

The babies have just finished their chick crumbles, and are beginning to mingle with the adult population. Although they're still too small to reach the adult feeders, they will soon be able to since they're growing so fast.

My solution is to feed the entire flock a chick grower/flock raiser which is high in protein but low in calcium. Oyster shell provides the calcium the laying hens require, and I serve the babies a "breakfast" of moistened crumbles mixed with strained baby meat with Poultry Nutri-drench sprinkled over the top.

So, everyone gets the same ration with the extra thing they require on the side. By the way, the babies have access to the entire pen, but the adults don't have access to the chick safe pen, so the babies get all the food they need without competition from the adults.

This is a simple fix and easy to employ. No worries. When the pullets begin to lay, then everyone goes back on layer crumbles.

 

[Jakoda]

good idea,,I should have asked, your post reminded me, I "may" have a rooster,,is it ok for them to eventually eat the layer feed??? Mine cannot free range, but I have a huge run for them, but 'may' have a roo...what do people do with roo's when it comes to feed?
Diane

 

[tcmstalcup]

I have all ages. I put babies into general population at about 6 wks. Across one corner of the run is a 4X4 welded wire panel. Behind it I feed grower with a little scratch. You can only eat back there if you can fit thru the wire. On the other side I feed grower and laying pellets. It has worked well for me for years like this.

 

[azygous]

Most people with roosters, who don't bother feeding them separately, comment that eating layer feed appears to have no ill effects on the roosters. That's been my own experience. A little extra calcium, after a rooster has reached full growth, shouldn't harm him. I've seen no evidence that it does. Compared with a hen, a rooster eats relatively little since they don't have high nutritional needs like hens.

My rooster has his own pen and his feeder contains high protein grower feed. But when he's visiting the hens in their pen, he samples their layer feed and I don't even give it a thought. He also eats table scraps, fresh veggies, scratch grain and treats like tortillas ( a hugh favorite among my flock). Maybe, if a rooster was fed ONLY layer feed, he might eventually have a problem, but I'm not aware of what it might be.