one 5 week old chick mixing with adults, question on feeding

[cmullet]

Broody hen only hatched one chick, she (or he) is 5 weeks old. i have mom and baby separated but all in same pen with 2 roos and 4 hens. mom and baby are dying to get in with everyone else, i would like to start trying for short intervals when i can be close by and stretch longer to everyone being together. Question, should i put everyone back on Layena pellets and a crumble mix so the baby can digest it? Right now i use a mix for the adults that is all kind of seed and some corn (local feed store sells it and they love it) but i am afraid to have the baby eat it (momma and baby get layena crumbles). Suggestions please! baby is fiesty and ready to mix and momma is missing her flock.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

The babe should be on chick starter or flock raiser until about 14 weeks of age, then if hen switched to layer feed.

The one thing you don't want is Layena layer feed for the chick as the calcium will be hard on the youngster's kidneys. (If indeed the Layena is the layer type...but that is the name. Purina names their other non-layer things something else).

LofMc

 

[cmullet]

i stand corrected, i didnt mean layena crumbles, i meant chick starter. how do i mix everyone together with separate foods???? or cant I?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Everyone can be on chick starter or all flock or flock raiser. Just supply oyster shell or calcite grit for layers, which you should be doing anyway with the grain mill mix.

I personally use flock raiser for the whole flock supplying oyster shell as I usually am running all ages in the flock.

LofMc

 

[cmullet]

great! thank you so much

 

[Doc7]

I use Purina flock raiser Mostly but I will purchase Any major brand that has the latest manufacture date when I go to the store (tractor supply).


The way I figure, more than half the year:
- you have chicks
- you have hens not laying due to daylight hours
- you have hens not laying due to molt (and this can be months and months of the year if you look at all the times any single hen is molting)
- You have a broody
- You might have a roo

I just see no reason to buy layer feed when any given day one of these factors could be impacting the flock and layer feed would negatively impact at least one bird. This is why I don’t even consider any feed but the most recent mill date Flock Raiser (any brand) with a can of oyster shell always present


That is a copy paste of another post I’ve made but basically, Feed all your chickens flock raiser from hatch until death.

 

[cmullet]

wonderful! back to the store today.

thank you

 

[kiwi-chick]

my chicks moved in with the flock at two weeks old and started eating the same as the chickens. I don't give my chickens layer feed.