How to feed flock of pullets of different ages?

[tcstoehr]

I have two pullets 14 weeks old and another three that are 6 weeks old. They all get the same growth feed now but the two older gals are going to need to switch over to laying feed 8 weeks before the other three are ready.

I see mixed age flocks all the time. What you y'all do about this?

Do I have to restrict each group's access to their own food at some point?

Can I just offer oyster shell in a bowl and assume that the older gals will gobble it up as needed? And just keep feeding them all growth feed until they're all laying age?

Or is there some intermediate/finishing feed that can be given to both at some point?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You guessed it. Best/easiest method is to continue the grower and offer free choice oyster shell in a separate container. Just make sure they have access to it every day. I keep a container near the feeder and another next to nest boxes.
There's no intermediate feed. Starter/grower/finisher/all flock are all about 1% calcium since they're intended for birds not producing egg shells. Layer is 4% calcium since it's intended for birds actively laying.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I have two pullets 14 weeks old and another three that are 6 weeks old. They all get the same growth feed now but the two older gals are going to need to switch over to laying feed 8 weeks before the other three are ready.

I see mixed age flocks all the time. What you y'all do about this?

Do I have to restrict each group's access to their own food at some point?

Can I just offer oyster shell in a bowl and assume that the older gals will gobble it up as needed? And just keep feeding them all growth feed until they're all laying age?

Or is there some intermediate/finishing feed that can be given to both at some point?

You've got it figured out! Really, you don't *have* to go to layer ration even once they are all of age -- you can continue with a flock raiser/all flock feed and provide the extra calcium needed with the oyster shell - this can be helpful if you plan to maintain a flock that will renew itself via always having a few younger birds joining here and there to maintain production as the older birds age out of production and/or if you maintain a flock that has roosters, etc who do not need (and can suffer health consequences from) excess calcium in their diet.

 

[tcstoehr]

OK, I'm hearing that they're smart enough to eat the additional calcium offered as oyster shell. Honestly, they don't seem that bright, but I guess they have some instinctual intelligence.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They're pretty smart but as the egg enters the shell gland, calcium for the shell is pulled from the medullary bone (as much as 10% of a hen's total skeletal calcium) so they really feel a need to replenish that dietarily. This is usually in the afternoon.

 

[Sylviaanne]

This is something I just discovered I needed to know. I have adults eating the chick food and chicks eating the layer crumbles. At first when I moved the chicks out to the coop, I didn't know not to switch to layer crumbles and now I am wondering if it is ok for the adults to eat the chick starter.

So, now, all I need to do is buy chick starter and put out bowls or containers of oyster shell? Thanks.

 

[tcstoehr]

That's my understanding, but then again I'm the nube OP. Use the starter feed with bowls of oyster shell. And when all chickens are 18 weeks or more then switch to flock raiser (still with oyster shell) , or go to a laying feed.

 

[Sylviaanne]

That's my understanding, but then again I'm the nube OP. Use the starter feed with bowls of oyster shell. And when all chickens are 18 weeks or more then switch to flock raiser (still with oyster shell) , or go to a laying feed.

I hope I have it correct because I still have chicks in the house and plan on getting some Silkies to incubate before I'm done. I have chicks as old as 5/9/2014 to unhatched eggs still in the incubator. I also want to try an experiment that others have tried with good results, washing the eggs before putting them in the incubator. Duck eggs to be specific. Not that I want more ducks but (I hate to sound callous) we don't like to fry or boil and eat them. Don't like the taste, we do use them for cooking but at the same time, we have duck eggs sitting around because we get more than we can/will use.

 

[KuroKitsune]

yes chick starter with oyster shell offered in a seperate dish/ feeder will work just fine. i feed all flock pellets with oyster shell on the side to my LF chickens and ducks and feed chick starter with oyster shell for my bantams...it works great and all the hens and pullets that are laying right now lay good eggs with good hard shells.


and i didn't have to show any of them the oytser shell....just put it in a small seperate feeder near the feeder that holds their pellets/crumbles and they started eating it by themselves.