Mixing food for adult hens and babies

[Barbs hens]

I have similar questions but a different problem. Our adults will only eat mash so can't change to grow. I need to get my 7 week old babies outside. I can put in a small nearby fenced area and continue grow for another 9 weeks then combine. Do you think this is workable and safe for babies?

 

[azygous]

Is your thread about the headline or is it about what's in your narrative?

What is your location?
How many adult chickens do you have?
How old are they?
What do you feed the adults?
How large is your run and coop?
Are the chicks still in a brooder?
Are they still under a heat source?

Have the chicks been outside yet at all?
Have the adults met the chicks yet?

 

[Barbs hens]

Is your thread about the headline or is it about what's in your narrative?

What is your location?
How many adult chickens do you have?
How old are they?
What do you feed the adults?
How large is your run and coop?
Are the chicks still in a brooder?
Are they still under a heat source?

Have the chicks been outside yet at all?
Have the adults met the chicks yet?

Is your thread about the headline or is it about what's in your narrative?

What is your location?
How many adult chickens do you have?
How old are they?
What do you feed the adults?
How large is your run and coop?
Are the chicks still in a brooder?
Are they still under a heat source?

Have the chicks been outside yet at all?
Have the adults met the chicks yet?

Hi..thanks for responding.

We are in high mountains in Arizona and have 15 adult hens and 4 seven week old babies. They have not met each other but both pens are in view of each other.

We feed adults lay mash and scratch and babies grow. The babies have been outside several hours a day during the last week, and I bring back inside at night.

The adults have a large hen house and run of about20' feet by 30'. The babies I would put in about 20' by 20'. It has a small hen house.

I will put them altogether when babies are about 16 weeks. I want to keep separated cuz the hens won't switch from lay mash. Also they are my friends hens.

Think I answered all your questions.

Thanks

 

[Barbs hens]

Hi..thanks for responding.

We are in high mountains in Arizona and have 15 adult hens and 4 seven week old babies. They have not met each other but both pens are in view of each other.

We feed adults lay mash and scratch and babies grow. The babies have been outside several hours a day during the last week, and I bring back inside at night.

The adults have a large hen house and run of about20' feet by 30'. The babies I would put in about 20' by 20'. It has a small hen house.

I will put them altogether when babies are about 16 weeks. I want to keep separated cuz the hens won't switch from lay mash. Also they are my friends hens.

Think I answered all your questions.

Thanks

Oh. The headline seems to auto populate....not sure how to change them.

 

[azygous]

You should be able to go back and edit the headline. If that window of opportunity has already closed, click on "report" up in your first message window and ask a moderator to change the headline to read as you wish.

You forgot to mention if the chicks are still using a heat source. They are plenty old enough to move into their designated coop right now. Since they will have their own run and coop, there is no further action required until they are merged with the adults later on.

As long as the chicks have the opportunity to observe the adult chickens, they have all "met". If the chicks continue to be able to observe the adult chickens, they will all continue to become familiar, and later on integration shouldn't be too difficult.

The issue of feed is easily resolved by feeding all the chickens what the chicks are eating, and simply provide oyster shell calcium to augment the all flock feed. Later, when the chicks reach point of lay, all hens can then go back on layer feed. If any of the adults are roosters, continuing to feed an all-flock feed will be preferable to feeding layer. Simply continue providing oyster shell for the hens' calcium needs.