Feeding Flock Raiser to chicks?

[txchickie]

DH was supposed to pick up Start n Grow for me for my chicks shipping tomorrow. I told him it was in a red bag.....and he brings home Flock Raiser

The whole red bag thing was too much I guess, LOL.

Is this okay for day olds or do I need to get actual starter for them?

 

[BarredBuff]

I would go get the Start n Grow because thats got the medication, but the flock raiser is an all purpose feed so maybe you should feed it to yours hens if its unmedicated.....

 

[txchickie]

I should have added I do NOT want medicated feed.........

The feed at our TSC is not medicated anyway, it isn't even an option.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
If you don't want medicated then I think Flock Raiser would be fine.

 

[lildinkem]

I like the DUMOR brand of TSC for chicks. Besides being 24% it has Pork protein. I heard great things about pork. I also noticed with my Birchen Marans, NOT using DUMOR and using either Flock Raiser or Layena has yellowed my Roo's Silver feathers. I do use a mix of Flock Raiser and Layena for some of my birds. But, I am heavily considering using only DUMOR for all my birds from now on.

 

[CountryMom]

I usually start with a bag of the starter medicated, but all my chickens are now fed Flockraiser. Once my starter is fed out the chicks go straight onto Flockraiser no problem. I have hens laying better than ever on this stuff and the young ones that have been mixed in with certain coops get all they need also. I had an issue last year with egg production with them eating the Layena. I picked up a bag of the Flockraiser for a certain coop that had babies (silkies) and their production picked up big time. So I tried it on every coop we have and we have eggs coming out our ears. So we only buy Flockraiser for everyone...with a starter as they hatch out.

 

[txchickie]

You guys are awesome---Thank you!

 

[txchickie]

Quote:
I would rather not use Purina either, but our TSC is sort of awful and is never well stocked

I would prefer animal protien (such as Dumor) but they never have starter!
I usually feed Nutrena, but the other store that sells Nutrena poultry feed is out of feed due to them not getting their truck last week because of the snow storm

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Same here. Once my starter was gone, they started getting flock raiser. BTW I've searched our medicated feed here, and it is only medicated with amprolium for cocci. No antibiotics are in it.

I switched my hens to flock raiser when 2 of them started molting, for more protein. I've noticed that a lot less of it gets wasted, then the poultry feed. (they bill it out to get to the corn pieces) So I'm going to keep them on the flock raiser.

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
I would rather not use Purina either, but our TSC is sort of awful and is never well stocked

I would prefer animal protien (such as Dumor) but they never have starter!
I usually feed Nutrena, but the other store that sells Nutrena poultry feed is out of feed due to them not getting their truck last week because of the snow storm

Another thing about Purina, they originally designed their formula for the large chicken mills. They do not need the higher proteins since their whole life is in a cage. Our birds run around and burn off twice as much energy as a mill raised bird. Those birds needs are much different then ours. To be honest I have been doing a mix of one bag of Layena, one bag of Flock Raiser and one bag of DUMOR layers 16%. I am just startin this mix. I think all of the types have their advantages.