How do you feed chicks separate from adult birds?

[LikeTurkeys]

I have four 4-5 week old chicks that I'm going to be releasing into the coop soon. How do I feed them separately? I have heard that you are not supposed to feed layer until they are ready to lay (16 weeks minimum or something).

Same question for roosters.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Switch to all flock with oyster shell on the side, free choice.

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Okay, thanks!

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Is layer feed just regular feed with calcium added to it? What are the dangers of feeding it to birds other than laying hens?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is layer feed just regular feed with calcium added to it? What are the dangers of feeding it to birds other than laying hens?

Potentially kidney (or liver) damage I believe, over time.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Is layer feed just regular feed with calcium added to it? What are the dangers of feeding it to birds other than laying hens?

Kidney damage over time for the roosters. Roosters and cockerels and chicks should not have excess calcium.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I feed all chickens from 10 weeks old a Poultry feed with 18 to 20% Protein.
Either a Non-medicated Start & Grow feed or a All-Flock/Flock Raiser, with Oyster Shells offered separately. GC

 

[aart]

Ditto the 'all flock' with OS on the side.

I do set up a creep feeder when integrating young chicks.
Just to give them a place to eat and drink in peace:

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is layer feed just regular feed with calcium added to it?

Pretty much. If you look at the analysis label on Starter, Grower, Layer, Finisher, All-Flock, or any other chicken feed you will see only two significant differences, protein and calcium. You will probably see some minor differences in the other components but none significant. Layer feed should have a calcium content of around 4%, some a little less, some more. All the others should have a calcium content of around 1%, more or less. It should be pretty obvious if it is closer to 1% or 4%.

Protein can vary a lot. A finisher may be 15% protein. A Chick Starter may be 18%, 20%, or for game birds as high as 24%. Layer may typically be 16% or 18% but I wouldn't be surprised to see some more or less. Choose the protein content you want, we all use different things. But watch the calcium content.

What are the dangers of feeding it to birds other than laying hens?

You can get some debate on this. There are studies that show feeding feed that contains the calcium content of Layer to growing chicks can cause damage to internal organs (mainly kidneys) and even the skeleton. These studies feed Layer and nothing but Layer. They feed a group of chicks a feed without excess calcium and feed another group with the exact same feed but with the excess calcium. They count how many die and cut some chicks open to see the damage inside. They measure how fast the groups gain weight on average. Those studies are pretty clear that if you feed nothing but Layer to growing chicks it can have a bad effect on some if not most.

Many people will tell you that they raise chick on Layer and don't see any of this. What many don't tell you is that Layer is often a portion of their chicks diets, they get a lot of their food other ways, often forging. It's not what is in one bite, it's how much total calcium do they eat on average over several days or weeks. Or they may not understand that a lot of the damage is internal and you can't see it from the outside. Chicks are not going to take one bite and fall over dead, the damage is gradual and often hidden. The more your chicks get their food from other sources the less damage the calcium in Layer will do.

You cannot stop chicks from getting to the food the adults are eating. I've had a broody hen take her two week old chicks to the hanging adult food and the chick fly up there to eat. That's why I feed all of mine a lower calcium feed with oyster shells on the side. The ones that need the extra calcium for their egg shells seem to know it while the ones that don't need it don't eat enough to harm themselves.

When I put food out where the chicks can get to it at ground level, the adults seem to think that is a special treat for them, even if it is exactly the same feed. So I lower my hanging feeders so the chicks can easily get to it. But with broody hens and their chicks I sometimes use this creep feeder for much the same reasons as Aart. It mainly gives the broody hen a place to take her chicks to eat when I first let them out that the adults aren't using. I stick one of those red chick feeders under this.

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Okay, thanks everybody. I'll change to regular feed then with oyster shell. I still planned to keep the starter grower in a sectioned off portion of the cage (so the layer feed wasn't the only thing they would have!) and they have plenty of green stuff as well. Thanks once again!