Today I decided to let everyone out and meet face to face. 6 existing hens who run the place and then I let out 5 new birds, 3 laying pullets, 2-13 week pullets. Then I let moma hen out with the 8 six week old chicks! It went extraordinarily well. One thing I worried about was the chicks eating and scratching non stop. The chicks loved the compost piles and the dust bath craters. Mom appreciated a good dust bath too. Not too worried about all the bugs and stuff butt I know they are getting some layer feed as well. Hens are just starting to lay again. I hate to take them off the layer, but I really don't want to keep the chicks and Momma locked up anymore.
Free Range Extravaganza!
- Thread starter Below frigid
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as long as the other birds are not after the peeps it is fine but would recommend keeping them with mom away from others at night
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- #3
For now everyone goes back too their own accommodation's at night. More worried about chicks eating layer.
if they have a bit it will not hurt them just not a steady diet
The chicks need more protein than most layer feeds contain. So you have two options. First, you could set up a separate feeding station for the chicks. You can do this by using a cardboard box. You flip it over and cut holes on the bottom part of the sides, big enough so the chicks can get in by adults can't. Then weight the top with a rock or something heavy enough to keep the adults from knocking it over. The other option is to give the chicks supplemental protein every day in the form of meal worms. Then you wouldn't need to worry about them eating layer feed.
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- #6
What about the
What about the extra calcium in the layer? That is my biggest concern.
Growing chicks need plenty of calcium, but they get a lot from the insects and bugs they eat when they free range. If you have access to layer feed without calcium, you could use that and give them a free choice side dish of crushed oyster shells for the layers. In fact, you could switch to any nutritionally balanced high protein feed (at least 18% protein) without calcium and it would work for the whole flock, including the chicks. It doesn't have to be layer feed but could be starter or grower feed. Then provide the oyster shells and you are set. Roosters also don't need as much calcium as provided in layer feed.
You could also switch all your flock to Flock Raiser, All Purpose, Multi Flock, etc.... with Oyster Shells in a separate dish for your hens. It's higher in protein & you don't have to worry about the Roos & chicks eating the layer.
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- #9
Going to switch everyone to Scratch & Peck Grower. Comes in Thursday. I am amazed how well everyone is getting along! Two of the 6 week old chicks escaped their pen, without Momma to protect them and they were fine. Of course it was raining and trying to get them back with momma and the others was a challenge. Ended up letting them all out. 3 new pullets and the two 13 week old pullet are integrating well. Not sure which birds to put where? Three coops?
In flocks kept to produce hatching eggs every bird often eats layer feed and nothing else. There doesn't seem to be any great increase in the incidence of kidney stones in those chickens. In fact I don't know if chickens ever get kidney stones.
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