Integrating eight week old chicks with two 1 year old hens.

[Littlebylittle]

I’m trying to intergrade my four ISA brown chicks with my two production white year old hens. They’re getting along pretty well, but my hens are eating laying pellets and my chicks are on crumbles. Well my hens want to eat the chicks feed and my chicks go after the pellets. I’ve got the feeders in different areas. Is it ok for them to be eating each other’s feed? Thank you in advance for helping this new chicken Momma.

 

[azygous]

Take away the layer feed for now and let everyone eat the chick feed. Be sure to offer the hens oyster shell free choice. You can continue to feed chick feed or an all flock feed until the new chicks come to lay. Then you can go back to feeding layer again to all of the laying hens. As long as any chickens are still not laying, continue feeding chick feed or all-flock.

 

[Littlebylittle]

Will do! Thank you for your help!

 

[Doc7]

I’m trying to intergrade my four ISA brown chicks with my two production white year old hens. They’re getting along pretty well, but my hens are eating laying pellets and my chicks are on crumbles. Well my hens want to eat the chicks feed and my chicks go after the pellets. I’ve got the feeders in different areas. Is it ok for them to be eating each other’s feed? Thank you in advance for helping this new chicken Momma.

here is a copy paste of my thoughts on the matter.
The way I figure, more than half the year:
- you have chicks
- you have hens not laying due to daylight hours
- you have hens not laying due to molt (and this can be months and months of the year if you look at all the times any single hen is molting)
- You have a broody
- You might have a roo

I just see no reason to buy layer feed when any given day one of these factors could be impacting the flock and layer feed would negatively impact at least one bird. This is why I don’t even consider any feed but the most recent mill date Flock Raiser (any brand) with a can of oyster shell always present.

 

[Littlebylittle]

here is a copy paste of my thoughts on the matter.
The way I figure, more than half the year:
- you have chicks
- you have hens not laying due to daylight hours
- you have hens not laying due to molt (and this can be months and months of the year if you look at all the times any single hen is molting)
- You have a broody
- You might have a roo

I just see no reason to buy layer feed when any given day one of these factors could be impacting the flock and layer feed would negatively impact at least one bird. This is why I don’t even consider any feed but the most recent mill date Flock Raiser (any brand) with a can of oyster shell always present.

Never thought about it that way. Thanks!