How do you keep 8 week old chicks from eating the layer crumbels after you have integrated them int

[Brookliner]

My broody hen and her chicks have been eating starter/grower since hatching. Now that I have integrated them into the main flock that get layer crumbels do I still give them starter/grower and if so how do I keep the laying hens out of the starter/grower?

 

[sumi]

You are going to have to keep them separate. Young chicks should never eat layer food (it's bad for them) and the layers will eat their starter food!

 

[dretd]

Not sure of your situation, but you could:
-switch to a layer pellet that is pretty large and the young ones may not eat it because of its size. You will have to watch and make sure that it the case and
- construct a creep-feeder where the slats or holes are small enough the 2 month-olds can slip through and eat their crumbles but the laying hens are too big to fit through and the feed is placed far enough away they can't get their snake necks over to the feed pan

or

feed everybody the chick food and provide oyster shell in an elevated pan too high for the young ones to reach that the big girls to snack on

 

[Fred's Hens]

All Flock or Flock Raiser or even grower for everyone. Simple. That is why the feed companies make a feed for the entire flock.

Put the layer feed away. Put out some shells, on the side. The young ones will have little interest.

 

[Joe.G]

I tell mine to only eat there own food, but since they don't listen well I feed mine a flock raiser and when everyone is reay to lay Ill feed them all a Layer.

 

[Brookliner]

Thanks so much I hadn't thought that though....flock raiser it is. They so far have't seemed interested in the adult food.