What to feed the mother and flock when the chicks hatch?

[Junebugsin]

I'm letting a broody hen hatch eggs this summer since last year she was broody for so long. I've placed (hopefully) fertilized eggs under her and marked them. I remove other eggs every day as the other hens insist on laying in that laying box most of all. I would like to simply let nature take its course, but I'm not sure how to feed the flock and the mama when the chicks hatch. Will it matter that I feed the entire flock chick food? Should I offer both chick and layer pellets? Will the chicks try to eat the layer pellets?

Any other advice is welcome!

Thanks

J

 

[0wen]

They'll get into each others food. Everyone can eat chick crumbles for a couple of months. Add a separate source of calcium for the hens (oyster, etc). Once they make it through the chick starter, I'd swap them to a flock raiser and continue to offer oyster separately...