Food for my Older Hens and younger chickens

[r-l-newell]

I have two hens that are a year old and then I have nine chickens that are about five weeks old. The young chickens have managed to slip through a hole in their brooder area of the chicken coop and into the main coop area and as of this morning have been in with the older hens. So far no problems.

If they are going to stay like this I want to feed the same thing to the younger chickens as the hens so that I don't have to buy seperate food for them.


Is the Purina Flock Raiser a good food to buy for them since the young chicks need some Medicated feed like Start and Grow for the Protein yet I don't want the older hens to eat the medicated food since they are producing eggs.


Any suggestions on the food to feed both of them at the same time?

 

[AHappychick]

when I have older with younger I just feed all of them starter or grower but make sure there is a lot of oyster shell for the hens free choice. I dont think the hens mind the extra protein and it seems to work ok.

Also maybe the younger ones wont eat the layer pellets as much as starter/grower crumbles so you could offer both kinds and maybe just the hens will eat the layer, especially if you keep that feeder higher so only the older ones can reach the layer feed.

 

[r-l-newell]

Quote:
Will the medication in the Start and Grow effect us when we eat the eggs? Just curious since I usually sell the eggs at work.

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
Will the medication in the Start and Grow effect us when we eat the eggs? Just curious since I usually sell the eggs at work.

from what I understand the only medicine in medicated feed is Amprol for cocci, but I really dont know as I use only organic feed. Maybe someone else will have a better answer.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

If the chick starter contains ONLY Amprolium as the medication ingredient then it'll be safe to feed to the laying hens until the chicks are about eight weeks old or thereabouts. Offer oyster shell free choice on the side. When the chicks are about eight weeks old change them all over to the Flock Raiser.

If the chick starter has actual antibiotics in it then I'd go over to the Flock Raiser right now if you don't want to separate them again.

.....Alan.

 

[r-l-newell]

A.T. Hagan :

If the chick starter contains ONLY Amprolium as the medication ingredient then it'll be safe to feed to the laying hens until the chicks are about eight weeks old or thereabouts. Offer oyster shell free choice on the side. When the chicks are about eight weeks old change them all over to the Flock Raiser.

If the chick starter has actual antibiotics in it then I'd go over to the Flock Raiser right now if you don't want to separate them again.

.....Alan.

I will look at the Purina Start and Grow this evening and see if it has anything else besides the Amproliumin it. If it has no medications in it I will see about getting fifty pound bag of it and continue to feed it. When they get up there in age I will buy a 50 lb bag of the Flock Raiser and feed that for good. I just bought a 50 pound bag of the Layena Crumbles and I guess the adult hens will have to eat that all up in the mean time. I will raise the feeder for them and then when the chicks are older I will switch over to the Flock Raiser. Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions as this is only my second year to raise chickens and having to integrate the new ones into the older ones house.​