Integration very young and feed issues

[aart]

Thanks. I don't think I can get that here.

There are other 'all flock' type feeds.

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Chicalina]

I'm in the UK. The feed stores where I live supply chick starter/crumbs, growers, and layers (mash or pellets).

 

[aart]

I'm in the UK. The feed stores where I live supply chick starter/crumbs, growers, and layers (mash or pellets).

Starter may be your best bet.
Learn to read the tags sewn into bottom of bags, not sure taht happens in the UK, but it's the law here in the US.
Protein and calcium percentages are the most basic things to know.

 

[Chicalina]

They are on starter now, then usually progress to growers at 5/6 weeks, then layers when they reach maturity.

I have never seen "flock raiser" here. Is it the same as growers?

This article kind of explains the feed recommendations and products here

 

[Sonya9]

I know this topic has been done to death but I have a specific question.

I've got 3 week old chicks with a broodie, and another hatch due this week with another. They are both housed in rabbit hutches inside the coop run with wire fronts so the older flock are in view.

I like the idea of integrating the chicks when young, as I agree with the theory that they will be more accepted when they aren't old enough to be perceived as competition, and they also have their mother to protect them.

But...they are on chick crumbs atm, then need to progress to grower pellets. The flock is on layer pellets which are not suitable. How do I feed them separately if they are all together?

Like Dobielover said, those of us that use broodies typically integrate when the chicks are about a week old. Often we have a separate on the ground chick pen in the coop and start leaving it open so the hen can decide when she wants to take her brood into the main run. Opening her pen up when the other birds are free ranging is especially good as then the run is mostly empty.

She will typically keep them close to the hen house when they are tiny and not able to move fast, then she starts taking them further away to free range.

I have used broodies to introduce chicks 10+ times and always feed everybody either all-flock or game bird feed. I have never had a chick get cocci here probably because when they are scratching around in the dirt with a hen they get exposed to the microbes which balances out their system.

 

[bobbi-j]

They are on starter now, then usually progress to growers at 5/6 weeks, then layers when they reach maturity.

I have never seen "flock raiser" here. Is it the same as growers?

This article kind of explains the feed recommendations and products here

I would think that an “all flock” feed would be the same as grower feed. No medication as you would find in a starter, and no added calcium as the layer feeds have. They should all do well on it.

 

[aart]

I have never seen "flock raiser" here.

"Flock Raiser" is a formulation under the brand name Purina.
It has 20% protein and ~1% calcium.

I didn't read the whole PDF but found it interesting that calcium wasn't listed in this table:

 

[NatJ]

Usually, the only special thing about layer feed is that it has more calcium than the others. Extra calcium is needed to produce eggshells, but bad for non-laying birds.

Chick starter usually has a bit more protein than other chicken feeds.

Protein is expensive, so the manufacturers usually put in the very minimum for whatever age chicken the food is meant for. A bit more is perfectly fine.

So feeding chick starter, or a grower feed, should work fine for all of them. Just put out a dish of oyster shell so the hens can eat it as the need it. (The chicks will mostly ignore the oyster shell--no worries about them eating too much of it.)

The .pdf says, "Feed is available pre-medicated with the wormer flubendazole"
That is not the amprolium that is used to prevent coccidiosis in the US.
Different medicine, kills a different kind of nasty thing.

I think you're going to need to find out which medicine is in the chick starter before you can make a good decision about whether to feed it to the hens.

But if you can get unmedicated chick starter, it should be a good choice for all the chickens you have (assuming free-choice oyster shell available in a different container.)

 

[Chicalina]

Yes I saw that about the flubendazole. I am pretty sure that all the chick starter I've bought over the years has a coccidiostat in it, not a wormer (flubendazole). I think that relates to commercial flock feeds, not the smallholder ranges that are available to small backyard consumers.

 

[Chicalina]

Well, this is interesting. Omlet.co.uk recommends this level of protein

And the purina US site recommends flock raiser (20% protein) only until laying age, then feed Layena

From what I can read, generally feeding 20% protein here in the UK is only for raising broilers. Our feed is lower in protein for chicks, adolescent and laying hens, unless they are meat birds.