Mixed Age Flock Feeding

[mountain gma]

Hi all, This was covered awhile back but I got advice from the nutritionist at Purina. I have two month old chicks and 13 month old hens and put out both Start Grow and Layena mixed with Scratch. Purina nutritionist says that chicks younger than 18 weeks shouldn't have Layena due to high calcium content that will cause bone deformities. Older hens can eat it all but if they get a lot of Start Grow their egg laying will diminish. None of them really need scratch if they get one of the other two. My dilemma is that I only have one coop and confined yard and they pretty much eat whatever they want. Duh! When I build my permanent coop I'll divide it and the yard in two for both ages and feeds. Right now I'm struggling and enrolled in the School of Hard Knocks. Hope this helps somebody.

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Many people have flocks of various ages. Our flock of 150 range in age from 1 day old up to a sweet old retired hen. With our chicks, once they reach 8 weeks of age they go out into our main free range pen until they reach laying age at which time they get transfered to our breeding pens. All the chickens, regardless of age over 8 weeks, go onto Layena Pellet feed. We have not had any problems with them doing this. And once in a while we will throw a small bucket of Start and Grow out there as a treat.

 

[HenMamma]

When in the brooder my chicks get 20 % starter. Once they move out to the coop at about 4 weeks everyone gets 15% grower. I have dishes of oyster shell out so the big girls still get their calcium if they need it. I have been doing this since last year and have had no egg problems. In fact, a couple of my girls lay every day and everyone has nice thick shells.

 

[trilyn]

Whew am I glad I found this thread-I almost posted about this same topic. Thanks mountain gma! I've got basically the same dilemma, my comets are soon to be laying and my other chicks are about 4 weeks behind them. They're all on grower right now, so all I would have to do is feed free choice oystershell? Then when they're all laying switch them over to a layer? What about the roos-would they just eat the layer too, or do I have to feed them seperately? Thanks in advance!

 

[hunter58]

I was thinking the same thing
I have mixed ages as well and using layer pellets glad to see i not doing anything wrong.

 

[digitS']

A lot of people leave their laying birds on grower and just provide the free-choice oystershells. This avoids most problems of who-eats-what in a mixed flock.

Altho' roosters are not producing eggshells on a daily basis like a laying hen, mature roos usually live on laying feed just fine. I believe that excess calcium is mostly a problem with immature birds. Their kidneys have not developed to the stage where they can eliminate the extra calcium efficiently. So there is a danger of harm to their health with having way more calcium than they need.

Steve

 

[lindabean]

"My dilemma is that I only have one coop and confined yard and they pretty much eat whatever they want. Duh! When I build my permanent coop I'll divide it and the yard in two for both ages and feeds. Right now I'm struggling and enrolled in the School of Hard Knocks. Hope this helps somebody.

"

When I put the 8 week olds out in the pen with the older hens, I used a dog exercise pen to divide them up. I guess you could also cut up one of those horse panels & tie-rap 2 pieces together then tie-wrap the ends to the sides of your big pen. I also put some 1/2 plastic netting over the top to keep the babies in & the big girls out. Again, tie-wraps used to attach it to the top of the X-pen. (I found this netting at a garden shop when I was looking for a way to keep deer out of yard plants, and it works Great for the chickens!) The X-pen works well as it has a built in gate. It also comes apart with the removal of a single wire piece that has a bolt threaded on the end. That way, you can stick several of them together to make a bigger pen. My X-pens are about 36" high and about 5 feet in diameter (big enough to go around a big plastic kids wading pool that I use for a whelping box for my Golden Ret.) When not in use, they fold up into a rectangle about 2 feet wide and are stored away till I need them to contain something else. (they are also good for impromptu play-pens for small humans as well and are easily transported to a park or beach) HOpe this helps.