two batches of chicks - can i feed them both layer pellets?

[laurenhomer]

Hello - I'm new to chickens and I have 10 chicks that are 19 weeks old and showing signs of getting ready to start laying (found two super thin soft shelled eggs broken this morning) and 9 13 week old chicks. They are an integrated flock now and I have been feeding them all the starter/grower food. Now that the older girls are ready to lay can i feed them all layer pellets and offer oyster shells without causing any harm to the younger girls or should i continue feeding them all what the younger girls should eat? The older chickens free range most of the day (as they wish - they go in and out of the coop) while the younger ones have only free ranged a few times but are getting the hang of it. They aren't as socialized and tend to run away from us not to us like the older girls so I'm afraid of not being able to get them back in the coop at night.

Also - we have two young nigerian dwarf goats that are on sweet feed and the older chickens have discovered it.....They do anything they can to get in the goat pen and eat it up. Should I be concerned at all with the chickens eating the goat feed?

Thanks

 

[CrazyTalk]

Layer pellets will do damage to the younger ones kidneys and liver. Feed them all chick feed until they're all laying.

 

[laurenhomer]

okay - thank you. assuming the same goes for oyster shells - hold off?

should i be concerned that my older hens will develop bad habits and not lay "real" eggs until the younger ones are ready?

 

[laurenhomer]

i think i could probably feed a bit of layer feed to the older hens while they're ranging outside the run and the littles are still inside....maybe it will prove a bit easier to feed them separately than I first thought.

 

[CrazyTalk]

Oyster shells are fine - as long as they're free choice and not mixed in with the feed.


A lot of people feed flock raiser type feeds and free choice oyster shell and never feed layer. Layer feed isn't really something you need to be giving - it's designed for operations with large layer flocks, where saving $1 a bag because it's 14% protein instead of 16 or 18% saves them thousands of dollars.

If you've got young birds still, it's much easier to just feed one feed. You're not going to do any damage by holding off on the layer.

 

[Emma Miriam]

With mixed age flocks like you have, feed all birds grower feed (or unmedicated starter-grower feed, whatever you can find) with 16-18% protein. Then offer oyster shell in a SEPARATE container. The younger birds who are not close to laying will eat mainly the feed and will only nibble at the oyster shell — birds know what nutrients they need and don't need. The older ones will eat lots of oyster shell and will make up for the lower calcium levels in their feed. Best of both worlds.

Here are a couple articles where I've seen this recommendation:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/feeding-chickens-at-different-ages.html (see Feeding Different Age Groups Together, near bottom)
http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/12/quick-reference-feed-guide-chick-to.html (see Mixed Flock)

Hope this helps!


Edited to add that I just noticed your other post above. If you can feed the older ones layer feed while they're outside, that would be ideal, but don't kill yourself over it. The above method works just fine, and all your chickies will get their proper nutrition.