When to change feed?

[ihavechicks]

I have 14 chicks that are 3 months old & growing like weeds. I have been able to successfully integrate them with my adult chickens. The only problem is the feed. My adults want to eat the babies food and the babies want to eat the layer. I can't find the flock feed around here so is it too early for the babies to eat layer? We sell our eggs so I don't want my adults eating the chick food, but I really want them to be together and not separated any more. Any thoughts or suggestions would be great.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I have 14 chicks that are 3 months old & growing like weeds. I have been able to successfully integrate them with my adult chickens. The only problem is the feed. My adults want to eat the babies food and the babies want to eat the layer. I can't find the flock feed around here so is it too early for the babies to eat layer? We sell our eggs so I don't want my adults eating the chick food, but I really want them to be together and not separated any more. Any thoughts or suggestions would be great.

Simple solution to this problem is to feed the entire flock a grower/all-flock/flock raiser ration and provide supplemental calcium for your layers by way of oyster shell. As long as you are using an unmedicated feed it is no issue whether it is layer, grower, etc.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

With smaller chicks you can use a "creep feeder" setup to keep adults out of the chick feed, but once the younger birds are bigger they are at a point where it can be difficult to set it up in a way that is able to allow them in and not the adults as the size difference is so much less.

 

[ihavechicks]

That's my problem. My baby chicks are almost as large as my adults.

 

[Den in Penn]

What feed are the chicks getting now? The main difference between grower and layer is the percentage of calcium, with maybe a small protein percent difference. If you can't find an all flock then grower would be what to use, with oyster shell in a dish on the side.

 

[ihavechicks]

Currently my babies are on chick starter/grower and the adults are on layer.

 

[Den in Penn]

A starter/grower will do well for all. Depending on the manufacturer the protein will be high compared to layer, but the 16% in most layers is near the minimum required. I feed a grower to my flock while they have young non-layers in there.

 

[losttexan]

What feed are the chicks getting now? The main difference between grower and layer is the percentage of calcium, with maybe a small protein percent difference. If you can't find an all flock then grower would be what to use, with oyster shell in a dish on the side.

If I have been giving the adults calcium through their feed up until now, does anyone have any suggestions for getting them used to/to accept the oyster shell? I sell my eggs, so I can't go through a long adjustment period until they get the hang of it.

 

[Den in Penn]

There should be no adjustment period necessary. They tend to try the oyster shell with out prompting. Still if you have feed with calcium yet I would start on it before it becomes necessary.