How do I separate them when I feed?

[SpeckledPullet]

I am about to introduce my 7 week old group in with my laying hens. How do I separate the 7 weekers when it is time to feed? I wanted them to stay on Grower and all of my laying hens are on Layers Crumbles. Should I just switch and put them all onto Flock Grower (or whatever the stuff is called for all ages of chickens)? Will this cause issues for the laying hens? Ideas would be great! Thanks

 

[chicmom]

Oh my.....unless they are the same size as the mature hens, I wouldn't do that......the larger hens will literally beat the crap outta the young ones or even kill them.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

I put all mine on Flock Raiser and offer oyster shell free choice to the layers. It has worked...and no dead babies. Provide a place that they can get into that the older hens can't and they will establish peck order just fine without any deaths to the 7 week olds. I've had mine out there for 2 weeks and some were as young as 4 weeks when I put them out. All is fine. The young ones are growing and the older ones are laying. Peck order is pretty well established too. I leaned a piece of plywood up for the young ones to get behind to get away from the pecking if they needed to.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Quote:
I agree.

 

[NoseyChickens]

Me too - Flock Raiser and oyster shell

 

[Marie1234]

I use a corner of the coop and a piece of wire mesh about 3' long. I set the chick food in the corner and make a cage around it. I have two small cutout areas in the wire just large enough for chicks to get in and out of. The full grown hens can't get through. You just have to make it big enough that the feed is far enough away from the fence that they can't reach it just by putting head through. A friend of mine uses an upside down plastic laundry basket to do the same thing. I hope that helps a little.

 

[cactus-hen]

I use a pallet on legs covered in chicken wire on the sides and plywood on the top. The cut outs on all four sides are just large enough for the chicks to get through. You can enlarge the openings as the chicks get bigger until they are the same size as the hens. I put their feed inside. They have a safe haven to go to if the older hens are after them and they can eat their own food in peace.

 

[Akane]

I feed gamebird feed instead. Flock raiser attempts to balance what both age groups need and only ends up not meeting the requirements of either. At least gamebird feed has nearly everything both need and not too much of anything. Layers don't need less protein or energy they just can survive on it and it makes cheaper feed. If I didn't have that I'd use nonmedicated chick starter. The only thing either feed lacks is calcium for the layers which is easy to supplement. Most of the time younger chickens won't bother with oyster shell until they need it so stick out a dish and the main difference between chicks and adults is met with no issue.

 

[SpeckledPullet]

Thank you for ALL of the great advise. I put the chicks out in a mini coop inside my big coop. I will let them stay inside for a week or two and then slowly allow then to adjust into the clock (under my supervision). I will try the flock raiser when they are all merged. Is 16 weeks too young to start them on laying crumbles? Thanks!

 

[Castaway]

Where can I buy flock raiser? I don't think they carry it in my local feed store.

Akane's suggestion also sounds good.