How to feed chicks and flock together?

[PippinTheChicken]

Pippin might hopefully (trying not to get too excited) have chicks soon. She is staying in the flock so the chicks can learn about the pecking order (and I don't have to do dreaded integration).

How can chicks and adult chickens eat the correct food?

I was thinking to raise the adult feeder so only big birds could reach, then have the low feeder with chick food. Any other ideas?

 

[azygous]

The solution to this universal problem is to feed chick starter to the entire flock until the pullets are ready to start laying. Chick starter is nearly identical to an all flock feed and a mixed flock can safely eat it. Simply be sure to provide oyster shell for the active layers.

A related problem is making sure the chicks aren't bullied away from the food and that their food doesn't get all eaten by the adults before the chicks can eat what they need. For this reason, many of us segregate broody and chicks for the first few weeks or place the chick feeder where only the small chicks can access it.

 

[Molpet]

I also feed everyone higher protein with oyster shell available. I have turkeys and chickens with poults and chicks and everyone gets 28% turkey starter.

 

[azygous]

I also feed everyone higher protein with oyster shell available. I have turkeys and chickens with poults and chicks and everyone gets 28% turkey starter.

While this is a very good strategy for turkey flocks, baby chickens can be harmed by such high protein. They shouldn't get more than 20%.

Too much protein in a chick diet causes increased stress on the liver, high ammonia and wet bedding, and longer term dangers of avian gout. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21491247/

 

[Molpet]

Too much protein in a chick diet causes increased stress on the liver, high ammonia and wet bedding, and longer term dangers of avian gout. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21491247/

Good to point out.
I tend to forget mine are meat mutts and rotated through my breeding program anyway.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Adults are being fed Poultry Gold

 

[PippinTheChicken]

I'm going to buy chick food sometime this week so I'll ask the shop-owner (they have chickens) on what to do