Feeding Adult birds and Younguns together.

[coopdeville15]

My growing pullets are housed and feed together with my adult birds. There currently is no practical way to separate their feeding. I was feeding the younguns chick starter crumbles and the adults layer pellets in separate feeders. The adults would/will raid the chick feeder and now that the pullets are nearly full sized, but not laying yet, they readily eat the adult layer food. They all have access to a large run where they eat what ever nature has to offer, plus the scratch that I throw out. Going "by the book", my pullets should probably still be on chick grower feed for another 6 weeks or so. Should I still be worrying about the food source/type, continue to offer both and not worry about who eats what, or what? There is free choice oyster shell and grit available. Everyone seems healthy and happy, but egg production is down a bit. The younger birds have been with the adults long enough for any "introduction stress" to have been resolved and pecking order issues are established.

 

[peopleRanimals2]

They can all eat grower, as long as calcium is provided.

 

[lazy gardener]

I am not at all concerned about my pullets eating layer any time after they have "got their cluck". While the standard answer is: never give layer feed to a bird that is not laying, I simply do not follow that advice. If excess calcium were such an issue, we would see lots of free range birds dropping dead from the amount of calcium ingested in the greens they eat. My whole flock stays on starter, until I switch the whole flock over to layer.

 

[peopleRanimals2]

I am not at all concerned about my pullets eating layer any time after they have "got their cluck". While the standard answer is: never give layer feed to a bird that is not laying, I simply do not follow that advice. If excess calcium were such an issue, we would see lots of free range birds dropping dead from the amount of calcium ingested in the greens they eat. My whole flock stays on starter, until I switch the whole flock over to layer.

I think one of the concerns with giving them layer too young is not enough protein, but I do agree that after about 5 months they don't need grower any more.

 

[lazy gardener]

My birds are typically laying at 16 weeks. So, I'm more than happy to get them on the extra calcium between 12 - 16 weeks.

 

[Folly's place]

I feed everyone Flock Raiser, with oyster shell separately. It works for my babies, roosters, layers, and juveniles. Easy! Mary