Growing Chickies Food Switch & Flock Integration?

[SourRoses]

I hope this question is not too repetitive.. I would love some advice!

We have, 3, 2 month old Silkies... and 6, 3 week old Cochins/Sizzles...

The coop is only a few days off from complete perfection... while the teenage Silkies are in the Halfway House outside.. and the 6 chicks are growing too quick for their brooder inside. Our plan is to put the Silkies in the finished coop in a few days or less, and the younger chicks in the Halfway House.

The Silkies, after my reading great advice here, have stayed on the Medicated Chick Starter while being outside for about 3 weeks. We are just now considering getting some Grower/Finisher food when we go to TSC this afternoon. My question is, is that better for them? I read that it is a lesser protein and such.. well I just want to do the best by them. From what I saw in the catalog, TSC has Purina and Dumor Grower/Finisher feeds. Which is better for them?

If I get the BOSS that TSC has.. is it okay to get the one with the shells still on? Last time I was there, the sunflower seed that was de-shelled was not labeled as BOSS. This is confusing me... LOL.

Then, the younger 6 chickies will be in the Halfway House... still on Medicated Chick Starter. I assume I will need to keep them seperate for at least the two weeks or so of 'on the ground' contact with cocci, time.. so they will be eating only the medicated food..?

At what point after that should I try integrating them with my older Silkies? I have 1 roo Silkie and 2 pullets. The roo and pullets are all very sweet among each other.. but I have no idea how they will respond to a bunch of 3 week olds. It's a 5 week difference... Two of the little cochins are brats and always picking at each other... I'm guessing roo, but have to wait a bit to be sure

I appreciate any help!

 

[Judy]

Personally I would keep them on medicated for another month or so, if that means starter, so be it. Around here about all you see is a combination starter/grower feed, fed from day one til they start laying. Unhulled sunflower seeds are fine, mine eat them all the time, though I had to mix them with something they like to get them started, and find out they are good to eat.

Integrating is not so easy to answer. It just depends how they react. If they have been able to see/hear each other all this time, it may go very smoothly. You could try putting them together while offering a treat to distract them, hopefully somewhere like your back yard where they can get away from each other if they want. I have one flock with quite a mix of ages, from 4 or 5 weeks to 3 years, with several ages in between, and they do fine, but they grew up together.