What would you do?

[jaj121159]

I have one naturally hatched chick which is now 13 weeks old. I separated her and her mother after two rough days with adult chickens into a vacant coop I had. The mother Hatching only) is an Iowa Blue and the chick is a Russian Orloff. To get ready to collect eggs for hatching I want to separate the chickens by breeds. I would like to move the Iowa into the Iowa Coop and the Orloff into the Orloff coop. The chick and it's mother have been eating chick starter, but in the regular coop they get layer feed.

Do I move the little Orloff into the Orloff coop and let her layer feed? Do I move her and give them all chick starter for a few more weeks and supplement the feed with Oyster shell? Do I leave everything as it is for a few more weeks? Suggestions?

 

[RonC]

If you move the baby do not let her have layer feed till about 20 weeks. The calcium in the layer is not good for it. If necessary switch them all to starter/grower and offer calcium(oyster shell) free choice. The young one will not eat it till ready. The young one may be ok with the other adults depending on their aggressiveness and room available.

 

[donrae]

I don't feed layer at all. I feed an all-in-one type feed and oyster shell when they seem to need it. It's winter and my aging flock isn't laying much, plus I have pullets too young to lay and cockerels in there. I think layer feed has a very specific niche but if you have mixed ages or genders you shouldn't use it.

 

[gryeyes]

What donrae said. Exactly.

 

[jaj121159]

I don't feed layer at all. I feed an all-in-one type feed and oyster shell when they seem to need it. It's winter and my aging flock isn't laying much, plus I have pullets too young to lay and cockerels in there. I think layer feed has a very specific niche but if you have mixed ages or genders you shouldn't use it.

There is plenty of room for her with the orloffs and they are pretty docile. I think going with the starter and oyster shell combo would be good. It's time to get mom back with the flock.