Seperate or keep them together?

[mommas chickens]

Ok so now that my chicks are 5wks old I have been putting them in with the big girls and everyone is doing really well but my concern is what do you do about there food? The big girls are 23 wks old and on laying mash I was told not to give this to the chicks do I need to seperate them until they are big or is it ok for them to eat what the big girls are eating?

 

[Fred's Hens]

This is why they make Flock feed. Known as All Flock or Flock Raiser. Feed the hens shells on the side. Easy as pie.

Or, feed all of them non-medicated chick starter. It too is good feed.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

It's not okay for the 5-week-olds to eat laying mash. What usually happens with mixed-age flocks is that they all eat what the young birds eat and offer the layers oyster shell on the side for extra calcium. All of them can eat grower feed just fine.

 

[ReikiStar]

Until the little ones get taller, you can always raise up the 23 week feeder. That works for us. Usually ends up the older chicks still like the Starter food.

 

[mommas chickens]

Thank you! Thats why I love this site I didnt even know they made all flock feeder!! I will get that with oyster shells on the side! Thanks again!

 

[gritsar]

Flock raiser feed with oyster shell on the side is what I feed as well. This also works better if you have any roosters, who don't need the extra calcium of layer feed. All of my chickens get the flock raiser, from the youngest chicks to the oldest hens.

 

[JanaBanana1]

Quote:
Can the newly hatched babies eat the Flock raiser too? I haven't heard of that food yet... thanks

 

[JodyJo]

I am at that position also, 16 week olds and 6 week olds...I am going with Grower/Starter with Oyster shell on the side till the young ones catch up.
Or Flock Raiser if you can find it, I can't in my small town.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Can the newly hatched babies eat the Flock raiser too? I haven't heard of that food yet... thanks

Yes, they can. Some folks prefer to feed the mama and chicks medicated starter, for the protection from coccidiosis it provides. However when I had my first broody I read somewhere, maybe in Storey's Guide to Chickens?, that chicks raised by a broody in the flock gain the same kind of immunity boost (as the med. starter) by walking in and being exposed to the droppings of the adult birds; who in theory should already have immunity.

That made alot of sense to me, so I have raised five batches of chicks on the flockraiser, along with the rest of the flock and everyone has done just fine.

We have a semi-local brand of flockraiser type feed here called Allway Kernels. Nationwide Purina has a version called, oddly enough, Flockraiser.