Merging chicks with egg layers...what to feed?

[Moorchicks5]

Hi all!
I have 3 laying hens and 3 eight week old chicks that slept outside with the big hens for the first time last night. I am having a hard time figuring out how to feed and what to feed them. The chicks don’t have access to the layer feed because it’s suspended and too high for them, but the layers (and squirrels) seem to find the chick feed wherever I hide it. I would love it if I could feed them all the same thing-but I know that’s probably not possible. Any tips on what worked for you when merging chicks with layers?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It is possible. People do mixed flocks all the time. Feed them all the starter feed with oyster shell in a separate container for the hens to choose when they need calcium.
The starter won't hurt the hens and they may even benefit from a protein boost.
I would continue to have the hanging layer feed out of reach of the chicks and let the hens choose.
The first time I tried to feed different feeds, I built a platform over the starter feed that I thought only the chicks could enter and I caught hens crawling under there to steal the starter feed.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I feed a Non-Medicated Starter-Grower feed 18% to all my hens 1-1/2 to 4 years old, with Oyster Shells and Poultry Grit, each in separate containers. GC

 

[igorsMistress]

You can feed chick starter or all flock to everyone and offer oyster shell on the side.

 

[Moorchicks5]

Okay thank you all! Good to know! For some reason my hens don't ever touch the oyster shell, even though one has a thin egg shell....

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Okay thank you all! Good to know! For some reason my hens don't ever touch the oyster shell, even though one has a thin egg shell....

Calcium isn't always the answer for thin shells. There can be multiple reasons. You may not see them eating the OS. What breeds are the hens. I'm curious about their productivity. Hens that don't lay a lot of eggs may not need the amount of calcium in layer feed anyway.

 

[Moorchicks5]

Calcium isn't always the answer for thin shells. There can be multiple reasons. You may not see them eating the OS. What breeds are the hens. I'm curious about their productivity. Hens that don't lay a lot of eggs may not need the amount of calcium in layer feed anyway.

The hen that isn't producing a hard shell is an olive egger. My other olive egger is laying a hard shell.