How to introduce new hens & their feed?

[chickencrazed0101]

I have a hen that was gave to me that should start laying anytime.. she eats laying pellets.. I have 3 hens that are going outside to the pen soon as well They’re still eating their medicated feed. I was reading that they shouldn’t be fed laying pellets until they’re older… how do I combine all the girls together, but keep their feed separate? Any recommendations on how, when and what to feed them are greatly appreciated

 

[NatJ]

There is no good way to have them in the same pen but provide different feeds.

The solution is to find a feed that works for all of them. Chick Starter is fine, and so is All Flock or Flock Raiser feed. With any of those, you need to provide a separate dish of oyster shell, so the layers can eat it for extra calcium. Any of those feeds, with oyster shell in a separate dish, is suitable for all chickens of all ages, no matter whether they are laying or not.

As for "how" and "when" to feed, keep it available all the time they are awake, so they can eat as much as they want at whatever time they want. Chickens will not care if feed is available when they are sleeping, so it's up to you whether to leave it all night or whether to put it away after dark and put it back in the morning.

 

[chickencrazed0101]

There is no good way to have them in the same pen but provide different feeds.

The solution is to find a feed that works for all of them. Chick Starter is fine, and so is All Flock or Flock Raiser feed. With any of those, you need to provide a separate dish of oyster shell, so the layers can eat it for extra calcium. Any of those feeds, with oyster shell in a separate dish, is suitable for all chickens of all ages, no matter whether they are laying or not.

As for "how" and "when" to feed, keep it available all the time they are awake, so they can eat as much as they want at whatever time they want. Chickens will not care if feed is available when they are sleeping, so it's up to you whether to leave it all night or whether to put it away after dark and put it back in the morning.

Thank you so much for all the information!!!!! This really helps

 

[K0k0shka]

The laying pullet can eat their medicated starter until the new ones have been outside long enough to no longer need it. They need to have been outside exposed to the soil for at least two weeks while eating medicated feed, for the medication to work and help their systems build immunity. So everybody can eat medicated starter during that time, and until they finish the bag (no need to waste it if you have more left after those couple of weeks are up). And after that, you can put everybody on an all flock type of feed, with calcium on the side (oyster shell or eggshell) for whoever is laying. That's what I do when I have new chicks. And even if I don't have chicks, my flock always eats an all flock type of feed (in my case, Purina Flock Raiser) with eggshells on the side. I've never used layer feed, I don't like the idea of it already having extra calcium added, because chickens' calcium needs vary throughout their lives and through the seasons, and they should be able to regulate how much of it they eat.

 

[chickencrazed0101]

The laying pullet can eat their medicated starter until the new ones have been outside long enough to no longer need it. They need to have been outside exposed to the soil for at least two weeks while eating medicated feed, for the medication to work and help their systems build immunity. So everybody can eat medicated starter during that time, and until they finish the bag (no need to waste it if you have more left after those couple of weeks are up). And after that, you can put everybody on an all flock type of feed, with calcium on the side (oyster shell or eggshell) for whoever is laying. That's what I do when I have new chicks. And even if I don't have chicks, my flock always eats an all flock type of feed (in my case, Purina Flock Raiser) with eggshells on the side. I've never used layer feed, I don't like the idea of it already having extra calcium added, because chickens' calcium needs vary throughout their lives and through the seasons, and they should be able to regulate how much of it they eat.

Thank you!! This actually will makes it a lot easier because I have quite a bit of starter feed left! lol