Mixing flock…. Food question

[Grizbrown]

I have 12 chickens (2-3years old) and was gifted 6 hens at 3 days that are now 11 weeks. I had on order 8 hens prior to the gifting…. The 11 week olds have been in the “chick section of the coop with the older hens for 6 weeks and overall mingle well during the day when we let them out together. My 5 week old hens are getting too big for the brooder box… can the 11 weeks eat layer food at this stage so I can mixed them with the older hens for good? Thoughts? (The 5 and 11 weeks have not been exposed to each other at all and size difference make me uncomfortable with mixing)

 

[DobieLover]

You shouldn't be feeding layer feed to anything other than active layers. This is why I have never fed it in the over 7 years I've kept chickens. Instead I feed an all flock type of feed with oyster shell available for free choice feeding on the side.
I strongly recommend you change your feeding program to something similar. After you do that, no matter what combination of birds you have in your flock or what stage of life they are in, they are eating an appropriate feed.

 

[Folly's place]

Agree! Layer feed is for actively laying hens only.
An all flock feed with oyster shell in a separate container is best for everyone. Pick something that's fresh by mill date where you shop. Here it's been Purina Flock Raiser, or very occasionally an unmedicated chick feed if it's fresher.
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

The problem with feeding the Layer to non-laying chickens is the calcium. There have been tests where a feed with the amount of calcium in Layer was fed to a group of roosters and several tests where it was fed to chicks. These were scientific tests where they had a control group with the only difference being the amount of calcium. I have not seen a test where they started feeding Layer at 11 weeks of age, just at hatch and at five weeks of age.

In all those tests the mortality rate was higher than the control groups. The mortality rate was not a whole lot higher but it was clearly higher. They also cut some open to see what the internal organs looked like. Many did not show internal organ damage because of the extra calcium but many did. While it might not outright kill them it can make them more susceptible to disease or injury and can make them less productive.

That's why many of us do not recommend feeding Layer to non-laying chickens. One bite of high calcium will not hurt them, the damage is cumulative over time.

Like the others I feed a low calcium feed to all of them with oyster shell offered on the side. The ones that need the extra calcium for their eggshells generally eat enough and the others don't eat enough to harm themselves.

 

[Grizbrown]

Thank you all. I went yesterday and bought all flock feed. Today after cleaning the coop it will be transition and move in day. Thank you for the advise.

 

[Mrs. K]

If you can’t get all flock, I frequently can’t. You can feed chick feed to everything.

And if the wrong birds eat the wrong feed, they will be just fine. Even if chicks eat it or roosters, they may not live to be 7-8 years old, but a lot of chickens don’t anyway.

So I really don’t fret it too much, I have a broody going to hatch on Wednesday (I hope), so I will feed everything chick feed for a couple of months.

Mrs K