We have a one yr old NHR and 6 chicks just over one month old. Can we feed them all the same kind of feed or should the chicks still be eating the Start and Grow? Also, what kind of leftover human food can they all have? I know they will eat just about anything. But what about food with different seasonings and butter? Is it better to just let them have some a few times a week or every day?
Chicks should eat start N grow, hens should eat Layer, which chicks should not eat. Now, you CAN feed them both Flock Raiser or Grower. You'll have to supplement you hen's need for calcium by feeding her lots of greens and calcium supplement.
Chicks don't need the extra calcium in layer feed (put there to account for the nutritional needs of hens who are making eggshells for their eggs). Birds don't process salt very well, so you should avoid offering table foods that are high in salt to chickens. And for chicks, especially, any treats should be nutritious simply because you don't want to replace too much of the food value of their feed with "junk" foods. Keep the treats down to 10 percent or less of their diet, and keep it good quality, like greens, fresh fruit, or hardboiled eggs, etc.
Thanks for the replies. When I asked about human food, I was thinking left over stuff, i.e. cooked veggies, pasta, fat trimmings. I know they like popcorn, and the hen likes chicken (LOL), steak, baked potato and doritos. And as for the chicken feed, we should still buy different feed--layer for the hen and start-n-grow for the chicks? HOw should I keep the chicks from eating the hen's feed? In the morning I let the hen out of the coop to free range and I feed her when she's out. I feed the chicks when they are in the coop w/o the hen. BUT in the evening, I have been putting both the layer and start-n-grow in the coop with them all.
My hens get anything and everything left over from the end of a meal... including pasta, bread, meat, veggies, fruit, and some desserts too. The seasoning don't seem to bother tem that I am aware! None of them are fat/overweight, but they are free range except when locked in the coop overnight to keep them safe! My hens will decide on their own how much is enough, often leaving a whole plate of food behind to turn up some leaves. Go ahead and give them your left overs!
If you hen is running with the chicks, you can feed everyone starter/grower and just put out a bowl of oyster shells for the hen. Chris
Quote:What he said. The hen will help herself to the oyster shell and self-regulate how much she needs. The chicks may eat/explore some, that' okay. I have layers and month olds plus together and this is what I do.
