Feeding old and new

[bevis]

i called the mill and he said he could make me whatever i wanted as long as i got 300lbs of it. he aslo stated that a lot of his customers feed nothing but 20% to their entire flock. i dont know what impact that would have on full grown layers. i have crushed oyster shel available at all time to the girls. he said that there is 7lbs of calcium in 300lbs of 20% starter. he said he could make it with zero calcium if i ordered 300lbs at once.
thoughts ?

 

[barred2rock]

i called the mill and he said he could make me whatever i wanted as long as i got 300lbs of it. he aslo stated that a lot of his customers feed nothing but 20% to their entire flock. i dont know what impact that would have on full grown layers. i have crushed oyster shel available at all time to the girls. he said that there is 7lbs of calcium in 300lbs of 20% starter. he said he could make it with zero calcium if i ordered 300lbs at once.
thoughts ?

I'd go ahead with what he's recommending. If the adults are getting treats that'll reduce their overall protein intake anyway. the 7 lbs of calcium per 300 lbs should be fine.

 

[barred2rock]

To add (hope it's not too late): I wouldn't order 300 lbs at a time unless you have many more birds than shown in the pics. You want the feed to be as fresh as possible. Some recommend feed no more than 6 weeks old.

 

[bevis]

we have 30 plus the 9 in the brooder.
we usually dont get more than 100 lbs at a time.
i also buy for the local organic farm so im usually picking up 2500lbs or so.
im just going to feed them all 20% mash so i dont have to worry about it.
the big girls always have access to oyster shell

 

[bevis]

I'd go ahead with what he's recommending. If the adults are getting treats that'll reduce their overall protein intake anyway. the 7 lbs of calcium per 300 lbs should be fine.

the adults get fresh 16% goat food and home made scratch mixed together every day.
we make the scratch ourselves in a concrete mixer because the scratch you buy in the store is about 50% corn. we buy wheat / milo / BOSS / small alfalfa pellets / oyster shell ( extra to what they already have access to ) / flat steam rolled oats / and only a 25lb bag of cracked corn for 300lbs of scratch.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I would form a feeding area for the young chicks---keep chick feed in the feeder 24/7 but make it where Only the chicks can get into that area. I use something like 2"x4" wire---it doesn't really matter as long as the chicks can easily get in and the older can't. Works great. No special feeds have to be made, etc.

 

[bevis]

they are loving the crappy florida grass

 

[bevis]

I would form a feeding area for the young chicks---keep chick feed in the feeder 24/7 but make it where Only the chicks can get into that area. I use something like 2"x4" wire---it doesn't really matter as long as the chicks can easily get in and the older can't. Works great. No special feeds have to be made, etc.

the problem with that is i would have to isolate them from the rest of the chickens so they dont get into the 16% layer that the big girls are eating. so its 20% for everyone

 

[bevis]

considering how easy the integration was, i will never wait 16 weeks again to put the new birds in. i kept them separated by 1/2" hardware cloth in a separate house/run for 2 weeks and then put them in the big house. they was not a single fight. im going to do it the same way with these 9 new girls when the time is right.

 

[PD-Riverman]

the problem with that is i would have to isolate them from the rest of the chickens so they dont get into the 16% layer that the big girls are eating. so its 20% for everyone

No, you keep feed in the chick feeder 24/7 only put feed in the other feeder ,maybe twice a day. I never had any problems----most of the chicks go to their feeder to eat because there is none sitting in the big chicken feeder. When I add to the big chicken feeder---I make sure there is feed in the chick feeder first. If a chick eats a little of the adult feed, I promise you it want hurt it----because most of its feed comes from the chick feeding area. Try it!!