Integrating chicks-keeping food separate

[ShelleyN]

My youngin's are 10 weeks now and have been in a fenced off area in the yard with the big girls for weeks. Every now an then a big girl gets into their pen in order to eat their crumble starter and every now and then a youngin' gets out. We have enough room in the back yard for everyone so I really think they can be put together, but I'm worried about the laying ladies only eating the grower food and the little ones getting into the layer feed. Isn't that bad both ways? What does everyone else do?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I use the same feed for all the birds to make it easy. When we've got chicks everyone is on non medicated starter/grower crumbles. When the chicks are big enough to eat pellets (over 10 weeks) everyone is on an all flock type feed. I use a turkey/game bird finisher. I have less waste of feed with pellets and all flock type feeds don't have the extra calcium a layer feed has. Just toss a handful or two of oyster shells on the ground once a week for the layers to consume or keep a side dish for them to eat when they need it.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Yes, just feed them all the chick feed until the chicks reach 18 weeks.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/feeding-at-different-ages