help!!! medicated vs non-med feed & chicks w/hens together

[chickie momma di]

Hi everyone. Sorry to ask this question again but this time it's a little different. Our hen's chicks are due to hatch tomorrow or Fri. I just went to my local feed store to get some chick starter and the owner told me that I had to seperate momma from her babies !!!!!He said she can't eat the medicated chick starter they need (was so upset didn't ask why) and they can't eat the layer pellets (which i already knew) because of the calcium & size.
What do we do? I'm thinking there has to be an easy answer out there some where. I can put what she needs high enough so they can't get to it, but how can i keep her from theirs?
What will happen if she eats theirs? What if they don't eat medicated feed? Ugh!!!!! I'm so confused. Please someone answer me back soon. They will be before we know it. I thought I had this all figured out but the feed store guy scared me.

 

[Snakeoil]

As soon as the chicks have hatched why not put them in a brooder that has a good heat source with there medicated food and water? Heres what I use for a simple but effective brooder.

 

[chickie momma di]

Hi. I realy would like the hen to take care of things. I could eaisly do a brooder but would hate to have to take her babies she worked so hard to hatch. But thanks for the suggestion. If I can't figure something out I just might have to bring them inside and do that. Gracie mae is a buff orph so I think she should be able to handel things. After all if the eggs need 100 deg. to form and hatch I think she should be able to take care of business.
I hate being a nubie. I don't want to make a mistake.

 

[CalicoFarm]

Get a chick starter that is non medicated. I have raised many chicks on it. I have had more luck with the non medicated than the medicated. Good luck.

 

[PortageGirl]

I agree about letting mama deal with them, and if you cannot find the non-medicated starter, or just really want them to have the medicated starter, make (or have a friend or loved one make) either a 'box' with a chick sized door or a little low roofed shed sort of thing that covers a chick feeder, so the hens can't get to it but the chicks can.

I don't do this, I keep them with their mama and am able to find the non-medicated starter usually, but if I had to, I'd go back to the little shed I had ... if I can find it, hmmmm. Anyway, depending on which broody is raising them, I just let her deal with it all. IF I can find that little shed. (I think I made it in high-school and I'm OLD! I think it was pretty crummy but it worked, even though some hens were angry they couldn't get into it!) But if I can find it, I'll try to take a pic (all I have is my cell camera), but it was a little peaked roof thingy made out of 1/4 inch plywood scraps and some scraps of 2x4 ... or maybe 1x1? Heheh, don't forget, I'm OLD!

[edit] To my knowledge, and I could EASILY be wrong!!! the biggest reason the hen shouldn't eat the medicated stuff, is it affects her eggs, but they don't usually just start laying right away anyway... I wouldn't sweat it either way, when they're with mama they start eating big-girl feed really fast since they follow her lead.

 

[chickie momma di]

Oh Finally someone is saying what I've been thinking. My hubby was just telling me he's gonna make a box like that. One that they can see through but wil keep momma hen out.

I realy think it's the right thing to do to let momma do it.
I heard the same thing from a friend about the feed & the eggs. I've been on the phone with whoever I can get info from in between the byc forum. I find the nicest & most knowledgable people here. Most important all of the info has been right on. My local feed store is helpful and he does know alot of stuff, he just has a different way of doing things or rather a different way of thinking. There are always more ways than one to do just about anything and thats one of the best things i think about this place because you get to see so many points of view.
thanks so much for the info and for your time.