keeping all the babies together?

[chickenlisa]

I've been planning on keeping my new baby ducklings and chicks and then the keets once they hatch all together, until I went to stock up on feed at Agway yesterday. I got the reg chick starter (medicated) and the Gamebird starter (unmedicated) and then realized once I was home"hmm, how will they eat the right feed if they're all together?" What do you all do with your mixed hatches? I'd love to start them together at least...then once older, move the ducks into my duck pen and chicks into the chicken pen, the ones I keep anyways. I won't keep them all (assuming a lot hatch.) So what do you advise?
Lisa

 

[chickenlisa]

do the chicks have to have the medicated starter feed in the beginning? If I give them all unmedicated gamebird feed-would the chicken babies do fine? I don't want to poison my ducklings by having them eat the chick feed with meds in it.

 

[Chick_in_Indiana]

I gave all my babies, chicks, ducks and keets chickstarter. They all grew up just fine. Most people will tell you not to though. As for keeping them together, the ducks grow really fast so you will need to seperate them after a few weeks. The keets and the chicks should do okay together, mine did but then again I only had a few. Just watch them. You'll know if you have a problem.

 

[chickenlisa]

You mean chickstarter with meds? I've read where the ducklings gorge on it and can overdose. Has anyone ever seen that happen or do you mean the starter without meds?

 

[Katy]

I've never had a problem with feeding my ducklings Purina medicated start& grow. As long as the only "medication" is amprolium it will be ok.