mix starter feed with layer feed?

[midge5000]

hi all,
i have two chicks who are 8 weeks old and 3 hens who are a year old.

back when the chicks were brand spankin', i sent my husband to the feed store and he came back with a 50 pound friggin bag of starter feed. the guy at the feed store told my husband we could make our own grower feed by mixing the starter and the layer.

the two groups of chickens are getting along pretty well free ranging and we are easing our way towards mixing the two mini flocks in the coop. questions is, can i mix their foods for the next 12 weeks (and also put out oyster shell for the ladies)? or am i about to throw out an awful lot of starter feed and go make another purchase at the feed store......?

thanks for your help,
rebecca

(a red star, australorpe, barred rock, easter egger, and blue ameraucana)

 

[sdm111]

Id at least try but grown chickens usually make a mess of starter

 

[Fierlin1182]

We had the same problem, and just mixed it in with the layer feed until it was used up. That also lasted about three or four months. All the chickens are healthy and well - I think you'll be fine doing it too.

ETA: on second thought perhaps don't give the layer feed to the younger chickens - we've been fine with it but I have seen lots of advice on here saying not to do it due to the high level of calcium, and it's probably better to go with the generally accepted info than one person's experiences But you can feed the starter feed to your older hens, and keep feeding to your pullets until it's gone. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, and we've also done it every time we bought new chicks (because we only get two at a time, and they can never finish the big bags of starter ).

 

[yyz0yyz0]

if I was in your situation this is how I would work through it:

keep the Layer for the grown ladies because of the calcium

buy a bag of grower, being frugal I'd get a big bag as it's usually cheaper per lb that way. Feed the grower to the chicks, when the flock is mixed everyone can eat the grower as long as they have calcium available.

Starter feed I'd keep separate and use it to mix with treats or fermented feed. I do the same thing with the dust at the bottom of my pail, I ferment it or wet it and mix it with chopped up treats. Seems to be less waste that way.

Might be too much work for you, but that's just what I'd do