[Wouldbesmallholder]

So I have just introduced a boy to my girls (well some weeks ago actually) having kept them separated for a while so they they integrate a little more smoothly.

They are now running together but the girls have taken a bit of a liking to the growers pellets and whether by choice or necessity the new cockerel is left with layers pellets.

Clearly, without separating them permanently this is going to be difficult to stop. My question is what are the risks of each eating the wrong food - am I right in thinking that the layers pellets pose less of a threat to the cockerel than growers pellets do to the girls (making them fat and lazy etc.)

Thanks in advance.

[Anke]

Everybody will be fine on layers pellets - I have never fed my cockerels anything separate form the girls...

[Clansman]

They'll be ok on it but its not ideal for fattening etc.

In commercial breeding farms we used to use a cockerel excluder system which prevented older cocks from getting their heads into the chickens feed track, sounds like you have younger cockerels so this probably wouldn't work as well.

Anyway, just for info, this excluder was attached to the top of a feed track, the gap allows the hens heads in but not the cocks.

The cocks were fed in a trough that was suspended high enough off the ground that the hens couldn't reach in but the cocks could (electric wire was used to keep the birds from flying up onto it and eating out it.

Worked well and allowed different amounts and rations to be fed to each sex.

[chrismahon]

All our cockerels get layers pellets Anke. It is only a problem with youngsters anyway -less than 18 weeks, as they have insufficient tolerance. Layers need layers pellets to replenish the calcium they take from their bones to shell the eggs (that's the process according to a science paper I read). When we are building cockerels up prior to being eaten, we give them rearers. At the moment we are having to mix layers and rearers because the layers here has too much calcium being meant as a supplement to free ranging (5% instead of 3% for penned birds). Too much calcium risks liver/ kidney damage I am told.

[Stereo]

The one bonus with feeding cockerels on layers is that you may get the saught after cockerel eggs of course. My boys all get in the nest box and have a go but none have managed an egg yet.

[Clansman]

I've also tried telling spare cockerels that if anyone one them can lay an egg he will spared this weeks elimination round but so far no one has taken up the offer.