How to separate food

[Snob Doctor]

I have 3 pullets in a coop separate from my flock of adult chickens. They've been "quarantined" for a while now, I've started letting them free range together and they get along pretty nicely. I'd like to move them into the big coop so I can have the little coop for new chickens, but they've still got a few weeks until they start laying and can eat layer pellets.

Is there any way I can keep their food separate if I put them all together? I don't know how to prevent the big chickens from eating the little chickens' food!

Also, I'm hoping to get chicks this spring; how would I keep the food separate in that case, too?

 

[RTW]

I struggled with this last year when I integrated my first year's batch with the second batch. I would let the big girls out first, then keep the youngers in the run. I closed the interior access to the coop, but opened it to yard so the older girls could get inside and lay. I kept the older girls' layer feed outside the run so they could get it and kept the chick starter in the run with the youngers. Since then, I have read that the olders would be ok eating chick food for a bit, especially if they get to free-range a lot. I am in the process of merging this year's batch now and I plan to just feed chick food when they're all together. Right now I keep them together for a bit in the morning, then let the olders out to range a bit. I can't leave the food out in the yard anymore because my neighbor's flock comes over and cleans me out!

 

[Den in Penn]

Yep, a grower/raiser or an all flock feed is the way to go with a mixed age flock. The grower/raiser is the same as layer with out the calcium. Some never feed a layer feed.