Feeding the Flock

[Penlady66]

I have 3 groups of chickens, they are divided by age. One is 1+ years old and is eating layer pellets, one group is 6 weeks old and eating starter/grower crumbles, and one group that is 3 1/2 weeks old and also eating starter/grower crumbles. How young can I start my young birds on layer feed? Or can I feed my adults starter/grower (as long as I use oyster shells for them) so I can get all 3 groups on the same feed by the first of September. I am hoping to have all 3 groups intergraded by the middle of September at the latest. I am going on vacation for a month and want to keep things simple for my chicken sitter.

 

[lazy gardener]

The easiest thing to do would be to keep the whole flock on the starter grower and offer OS on the side. I keep my flock on S/G until the pullets get their cluck. Many say to not give layer to birds until they are laying, b/c of the concern about kidney damage from too much calcium. Those studies, to my knowledge were based on broilers, which are already prone to systemic problems due to their rapid growth. I consider that a BYF is getting plenty of calcium if they free range, simply from all of the greens they ingest. If kidney damage was going to show up in youngsters, (based on calcium consumption) BY free range chicks would be dropping dead all over the place.

 

[Penlady66]

The easiest thing to do would be to keep the whole flock on the starter grower and offer OS on the side. I keep my flock on S/G until the pullets get their cluck. Many say to not give layer to birds until they are laying, b/c of the concern about kidney damage from too much calcium. Those studies, to my knowledge were based on broilers, which are already prone to systemic problems due to their rapid growth. I consider that a BYF is getting plenty of calcium if they free range, simply from all of the greens they ingest. If kidney damage was going to show up in youngsters, (based on calcium consumption) BY free range chicks would be dropping dead all over the place.

Thanks! That was what I was considering to do. I just wanted to hear it from someone else. You know, a little reassurance. They adults will only be on the starter/grower for a short time, since the babies will be 20 weeks on around the 18th of October, and I am really not planning on intergrading the babies until they are at least 14 weeks old. Again, thanks!

 

[lazy gardener]

Integrate them when you want, but many of us have found that it's actually easier to integrate the youngsters when they are younger. I start integrating them as soon as possible after they are off heat. Usually, around 6 - 8 weeks, based on my numbers, and the predator situation I am facing at the time. I started integrating this group of chicks at around 7 weeks, IIRC. They were fully integrated at 10 weeks. Many folks start integrating at 3 - 6 weeks. The adults do not view chicks as a threat to their position in the pecking order, the way they do with older pullets. Azygous is the queen of early integration.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

The easiest thing to do would be to keep the whole flock on the starter grower and offer OS on the side. I keep my flock on S/G until the pullets get their cluck.

Get their cluck....
Looks like I'm on my last bag of grower
I am looking forward to moving on to pellets hopefully less waste than the crumbles...

Gary