questions about merging chickens

[katssmilin]

Hi
I have three 2 year old RIR hens. We have six 8 week old mixed RIR and Americana. I think but am not sure that 3 of the 8 week olds are roos and 3 are hens. They have been in the same coop with the 2 year old hens with a divided wall for 3 weeks. We would like to put them all together if we can. My questions are
1. Is it OK to put them together now?
2. What about feed? The 8 week olds get grower mash and the 2 year olds get layer mash. Will they eat each others feed if we put 2 different feed buckets in? Will it harm them if they do?
3. What about the roosters? We are not allowed roosters so we are trying to get rid of them but until we do can they be merged also? I would think they might be the more ggressive ones.

Hope this is the right place to post these questions. Couldn't decide if I should post here or in the raising baby chicks thread.
Thanks in advance for reading and replying if you can help.

 

[Chicken Lover 1]

You can probably put them together now. Just observe them when you do. They will have to make a pecking order so its ok if they peck at each other. Put if some one is really mean all the time then you need slowly introduce them. It is good to put the roosters in because they often protect your young hens. For food I have some six week olds who eat the same thing as my old ones, layer mash. If your grower mash is organic and has no meds in it should be fine to feed to the older ones. But if you want to have the chickens eat the right foods for them you will have to have them apart during feeding time. Good luck

 

[chickencoop789]

You'll have no problem putting them together now. The roosters may try to get to the top of the pecking order, but thats normal. Give it some time and they will all be best friends.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Feeding very young birds layer mash is not advised. No feed company advises it. Not one. The reason is simple. High calcium layer feed is inappropriate for young birds. The adolescent has no capacity to expel the calcium and it builds up in the renal tract, often doing great damage, damage you cannot see externally.

Feed Grower, non-medicated Starter, All Flock or Flock Raiser. These feeds can be fed to any bird. Just offer the layers a calcium source, on the side. The younger birds don't generally mess with it because their bodies aren't craving it.

 

[katssmilin]

Feeding very young birds layer mash is not advised. No feed company advises it. Not one. The reason is simple. High calcium layer feed is inappropriate for young birds. The adolescent has no capacity to expel the calcium and it builds up in the renal tract, often doing great damage, damage you cannot see externally.

Feed Grower, non-medicated Starter, All Flock or Flock Raiser. These feeds can be fed to any bird. Just offer the layers a calcium source, on the side. The younger birds don't generally mess with it because their bodies aren't craving it.

The calcium source being oyster shell I presume?