How do I feed my chickens?

[ChickQueen77]

I want to move my Silver Laced Wyandotte standard chicks that are about 7 weeks old out of the water tank I use for a brooder into the coop with my bantam hens because the chicks are too small to be with my standard hens but the same size as my bantams but the bantams get layer feed and the chicks still need chick food for about 10 weeks and they can't be in the water tank for that long because I have window screens on top of the tank so they can't fly out but they fly up at the screens and can push the screens up and I am wondering what I should feed to them like can the bantams get chick food for a little while until I move the chicks into the coop with the standard hens? Or do they have to stay in the tank?

 

[saysfaa]

The bantams can eat chick feed with no problems as long as they have a calcium source on the side. Usually, people use oyster shells as that calcium source. The bantams will take what they need. The chicks may taste the calcium but won't take too much.

The chicks should not get layered feed.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

My grown hens and 8 week old pullets and cockerel all eat chick starter. I put oyster shell in a separate dish for the laying hens.

 

[ChickQueen77]

The bantams can eat chick feed with no problems as long as they have a calcium source on the side. Usually, people use oyster shells as that calcium source. The bantams will take what they need. The chicks may taste the calcium but won't take too much.

The chicks should not get layered feed.

do I have to slowly mix the chick feed into the layer feed or just change foods?

 

[saysfaa]

The nutritional differences between chick feed and layer feed are small enough to not need to change gradually. I'm fairly sure there isn't much need anyway for chickens.

I've changed abruptly several times with no issues except they like the texture they grew up with (ground vs crumble or pellets). They ate the crumble and pellets but complained about it and obviously rejoiced whenever they got ground feed again. I switched back and forth between chick (ground, crumble), and layer (ground, crumble, pellets) and duck feeds (pellets) of several brands.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

The only reason that I’ve mixed mine so far is that I had ordered a bag of layer before deciding to stay with chick (+ oyster shell and grit on side yada yada), so I’ve half+halfed them just to get through the layer feed before two new young pullets (!!!!!!) arrive in July. Then it will be chick + yada on the side.

The blend works will in fermented form, but they turn up the beaks a bit at the layer version served dry for at-will eating.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Chick feed, grower feed, all flock, feather fixer.... check the bags for the protein analysis, they all should be about the same. Layer feed has added cacium and is not recommended for young chicks, old spent hens, molting birds or males, as the calcium can be detrimental over the long haul.

 

[Chicken Heel]

Not a feed related answer but just because the chicks you are integrating are the same size of bantams, it doesn't mean the bantams will play nice with them. They can be cantankerous.

 

[StarOnFire59]

I have a question. My laying hens are almost 1 year old (Bantam Americaunas). I will have had them just 1 week tomorrow & the hatchery said they were all 10-11 mons. old when I got them. I mix wheat/corn scratch, layer feed & harvest treats, etc. together, and add in powdered egg shell. My oyster shell should be arriving 15th or 16th.
Question: How much feed do I need to put in for each hen?