Would it hurt to feed laying pellets?

[Junkybird]

I have six 13 week old guineas that stay in a pen/coop with 16 chickens and two mallards. Some of the chickens have started laying and I will probably switch to laying pellets when I go buy food next. Since everybody is in the same pen, this means that the guineas will be getting the laying pellets too. Will this hurt them?

I was feeding them the wild game higher protein food when they were in the brooder, but as soon as I moved them out to the pen, I had no choice to to feed them all the same food. Should I just wait until the guineas are of "laying age" too before feeding anybody laying pellets. The chickens will still lay without the laying pellets.

Who will this hurt more? Laying chickens not having laying pellets, or young guineas eating laying pellets! LOL This is getting too complicated

 

[Aj1911]

mix the feed 50/50

chickens like high protein feed and it wont hurt them but they do need some laying pellets

guineas have to have more protein tell spring/summer when there is lots of bugs and they can free range more.

so mixing 50/50 would be best for all of them

dont forget the chickens will need a dash more calcium doing this so make sure you plenty of free choice oyster shell.

 

[Junkybird]

Are you saying to mix 50/50 laying pellets and high protein feed? Hmmm, I wonder if I can do that having ducks in this pen as well. I've heard that the ducks shouldn't eat the game bird feed. But, 50/50 probably wouldn't hurt them.

I do have oyster shells that I just got from the beach. I've crushed them up with a hammer and have them in a bowl. I've seen everybody pecking at them.

 

[Aj1911]

Quote:
i dont know anything about ducks lol

i just buy my oyster shell at the feed store already crushed in 50lb bags for $10, one bags lasts me 2 months.

 

[feathersgalore]

I feed laying pellets once the guineas are old enough to go in with the rest of the guineas and chickens. Everyone in the coop eats the same stuff. They free range during the day and eat in the evenings.

 

[kcardella]

I fed my ducklings gamebird starter for the first two months, then switched to grower ration. They did fine on it. I switched them to the layer ration after 15 weeks.

I feed gamebird starter to my guinea keets until they are old enough to go into the main pen with the chickens (usually 12 weeks). Then they have access to layer ration in the morning and at night when they are not free-ranging. They have been doing fine with this for years.

So, for other than young birds, I feed layer ration to everyone, and I have not had any problems with that.