Ya'll I need help with chicks and hens.

[KyCoop]

OK my hens are 2 and a half yrs. old. I got 4 pullets a couple weeks ago. They are 10 weeks old. The hens eat layer feed and I put the chicks on medicated starter. I would like to start integrating the pullets soon but I can't have everyone eating everyone else's food. Right now I hang the Littles food up high so the big girls can't get it when I let them mingle in the evenings. Another problem is I have a 50 lb bag of chick food they are not going to get through before I want to take the divider down.
Is it very very bad for the big girls to eat medicated food? I know it's bad for the Littles to eat the layer food. What should I doooooo? The babies are growing fast and I would like to start introducing them to the coop. I don't want them getting too used to roosting in the run. (Don't worry, it's very secure)

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

I would have thr little chicks on non medicated right now, but it won't hurt the hens to eat some. So put the littles food on the ground and the big girls food high enough that the chicks can eat it. Or can the chicks fly high enough?

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Mix the starter with the layer feed 50/50, offer oyster shell separately for your layers, and I believe everyone can eat the same mix. Your chicks aren't so young that some of the layer feed would hurt them. And I doubt the medicated starter would hurt your hens, either. Or.... you could buy "all-flock" feed until the littles are laying age, keep the oyster shell available, and then no problems. You'd still have that 50# bag of starter, though.... Donate it, or sell it on the marketplace.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Just put everyone on whatever the younger birds are eating, medicated or not. Most medicated feed in the US contains amprolium which is a thiamine inhibitor, and there's no egg withdrawal time. Oyster shell on the side for the layers to get their calcium.