Mixed bird ages in one coop question.

[JimnJanet]

I have two 'caunaus that are about 3 months old,a pullet and a cockerel and i jist put two older hens in with them that are allready laying. I have no other place to keep these birds seperate and was concerned about the feed. The youngins are still on starter and the older girls should of course be gettin layer pellets now.
Any input/suggestions/advice ?
thanx , Jim

 

[dacjohns]

I'm in a similar situation. I have 5 layers, two moms with 16 chicks, a rooster, 15 meat birds, and 2 ducks in the same space. They all get let out during the day. I try to give the chicks flock raiser and keep the other birds away.

I don't have them on starter because I thought it would be too much trouble to keep them segregated and happy and I didn't want the other birds getting medicated feed. Yes, I know they make unmedicated starter but it is hard to find in my neck of the woods and the chicks running around are building a natural immunity I hope.

Because I have everyone mixed they get the layer ration and whatever they find in the yard. If they didn't roam during the day I would be more concerned.

If all your birds are confined there could be problems with the chicks and the layer ration. Wait, they aren't chicks, they're 3 months old. I don't see a problem even though the feed bag says wait.

May not be the right way or best way, just what I'm doing.

 

[sueg6255]

I have all my birds right now in two seperate coops but they free range. They sleep over in the other coops when they want. There are Grandma, Mothers, and babies oh and can't forget daddies all running around together right now. I put the teenagers as I call them in a closed pen beside the older birds for about a week so they can see each other . Then I start letting the teens out with grandma and thier moms. Seems to work.

 

[clay]

At about eight weeks, our "babies" abandoned their grower feed in favor of the layer pellets that the big girls were eating. Now our older hens, younger chickens, ducks and geese are all eating the layer pellets, in addition to whatever they find free-ranging the yard.

Everybody goes into one house for the night, except for the geese, who get put into the "goose house" for now, and will probably have to spend the nights outside once they get too big and ornery to catch and confine.

Our local feed store has a flock of chickens who do just fine eating whatever happens to get spilled.