Feeding a mixed age flock!

[AustralorpsAU]

Hi all. I currently have 3 hens that are on laying pellets but i was thinking of getting a few 6 week old chicks down the road and putting them in the same coop... but how would i feed them separate food to the laying chooks? Thanks

 

[QueenMisha]

Switch them all to a non-medicated grower ration. Supplement the laying hens with oyster shell for calcium. The young birds will not eat this.

Personally I would not recommend mixing 6 week olds with mature hens. Ideally you should wait until at least 8 and preferably 10 weeks to allow them physical access. Hens may beat up an 8 or 10 week old, but they can much more easily kill a 6 week old.

 

[chikdukturkmom]

I use flock raiser feed for all my chicks ducks and turkeys after 6 weeks of age.

 

[AustralorpsAU]

Switch them all to a non-medicated grower ration. Supplement the laying hens with oyster shell for calcium. The young birds will not eat this.

Personally I would not recommend mixing 6 week olds with mature hens. Ideally you should wait until at least 8 and preferably 10 weeks to allow them physical access. Hens may beat up an 8 or 10 week old, but they can much more easily kill a 6 week old.

Cool thanks. I would probably quarantine them for a couple of weeks then slowly integrate them. I live in Australia and cannot find oyster shell grit ANYWHERE?

 

[MeepBeep]

I live in Australia and cannot find oyster shell grit ANYWHERE?

I have to suspect it's available, you can also use crushed limestone as an alternative as long as the chunks are small enough for the bird to swallow...

**Edit just did a quick Google search, appears in OZ it's more commonly called 'shell grit' and should be available in most pet stores and feed stores some places simply label it by it's chemical name aka 'calcium carbonate'...

Another alternative if you have a restaurant or fish market near you that severs/sells shucked oysters ask if you can have the left over halves of the shells they normally just toss in the trash... Bake them in an oven a bit to dry them out and get rid of some of the 'fish' smell or potential parasites still on the shell, then take a hammer to them...

 

[AustralorpsAU]

I have been giving my chickens shell grit which just looks like shells from the beach that are crushed up and the local rural store said that they are a source of calcium.... is that right?

 

[MeepBeep]

I have been giving my chickens shell grit which just looks like shells from the beach that are crushed up and the local rural store said that they are a source of calcium.... is that right?

Yep, that would be soluble grit and it's primary use is for calcium supplementation... If they are not on a commercial feed only diet they should also provide them insoluble grit, this is usually composed of quartz, granite or flint as this provides the sharp edges and hardness to break up natural foods while not giving them an excess of calcium...

 

[AustralorpsAU]

Yep, that would be soluble grit and it's primary use is for calcium supplementation... If they are not on a commercial feed only diet they should also provide them insoluble grit, this is usually composed of quartz, granite or flint as this provides the sharp edges and hardness to break up natural foods while not giving them an excess of calcium...

Commercial feed is basically their whole diet... a few scraps here and there but mainly laying pellets.

 

[AustralorpsAU]

Hi everybody,

thought i would give an update!

I got three 8 week old lorp chicks (now 10 weeks old) and all my hens plus chicks on on pullet grower! I have also put the shell grit i have out there for the hens! I still don't know if it is a source of calcium or just grit for the gizzard! I know i have had people say it is but i will post a pic just to be sure

Thanks

 

[AustralorpsAU]

Oh and the integration went really well!