Feeding Dilemma

[Millie1]

I'm thinking ahead here ... my three will be around 20w, 16w and 10w when our 2 Pekins join us. The Pekins will be around 7-8 weeks. Will they be needing different foods? How long can I leave my older chickens on growers for? The Orp (eldest) won't lay, I believe, for many months so can she continue on growers? The New Red Hamp (youngest) will be fine on growers. But what about my Buff Sussex (who will be 16w then) and presumably within a few weeks be ready for layers? If I put them in different dishes will they just not eat everything that's out? I can't separate them - only one henhouse and run area. Grrr. Any suggestions oh wise ones?

Sorry, the little one will be 12w - not that it makes that much difference!

ah, now, any chook under 16 weeks should be given Growers food - it's got different levels of protein in. layers food for any pver 16 weeks. i think it can start them laying earlier, so is a Bad Thing.

(it doesn't harm them to be kept on growers longer, as i don't think the proteins are that much different.)

Thanks Nickel but how do I make sure they each eat their own food, there's the million dollar question? Any ideas? I really am calling on your expertise!

dunno

ours have all been POLs or already laying when we got them.
i think you'd have to keep them separate during the day - maybe a wire partition so they can see each other but not be able to touch each other's food? (when we got our ex-batts, we had to put them separate within the same run - we constructed a rather mad partition, but if you only need to separate them for running around, it only needs to be a flimsy wire thing...)

i'm sure someone else must know more about than me...

I would feed them all growers until all are over 16wks. It wont do any harm. It wont do any harm. In the wild they would all eat the same. I asked the question when I had a hen with chicks. Local poultry club bod said it was fine.

Thanks Soccp