Most feed companies offer a medicated Starter/Grower combo feed, with a recommended use pretty much until adulthood...
When is it time to switch to layer feed?
- Thread starter Springchild
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Most feed companies offer a medicated Starter/Grower combo feed, with a recommended use pretty much until adulthood...
In the states if a feed company has Starter/Grower combo feed they also usually have the non-medicated Starter/Grower right beside the medicated.
Also the medicine in medicated feed completely breaks down very quickly, within a few hours after the feed gets moist in the gizzard. Its an extremely small dose designed to be assimilated a little bit at a time as the hen eats throughout the day. When the hens head off to the roost at night the breakfast medication has long ago wore off.
When an egg is laid it has been around 12 hours without any additional nutrients being added to the egg by the hen (she has been making the membrane around the white and the shell). By the time the hen lays the medicine has long ago completely broken down. It will never builds up and turn into a poison.
If you are super worried about the medicine still being there you can wait a day before eating the egg.
I don't know if I would go that far as to claim 'in the states' yes in most larger big box stores and lager feed stores in the US it's common to have both medicated and unmedicated feeds, at least in rural areas... But the OP has stated they live in a pretty isolated location and on an island to boot... Chances are the local island feed store doesn't have anywhere near the selection and variety of a mainland store due to the fact it's just not cost effective to ship/truck/boat in competing products unless there is a sufficient demand to do so... This is even true on non-isolated islands, I have vacationed on many coastal islands in Florida, and the selection on 'island' stores for everything is dismal to say the least compared to what is available across the bridge or by boat to the mainland...
The selection is even bad where I live, there is a local feed store that is pretty well stocked on most things (horse) but they lack on most 'poultry' things beyond your normal chicken feeds, they also have horrible hours and higher prices... Leaving me with little choice but to drive about an hour to a better stocked feed store to get what I need most of the time in bulk...
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Sorry I was making a comment on just your post. Yes i know island prices and selections. On Washington's San Juan islands you can count on pour selection and unbelievable prices. Everything has to come in by ferrie or on small airplanes. Not living there anymore. I now live inland outside a little town that luckily for me has a small feed store. Where i can get non-medicated feed.
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MeepBeep,
The problem started with this post,
Quote:
Which is incorrect no matter if the hen in on a medicated chick starter or a medicated starter/grower.
The products used in medicated type feeds thats intended for laying or a multi-flock is either Amprolium or Lasalocid.
Last checked there are no egg withdraw with either product since Lasalocid is confined to the alimentary canal of the bird and Amprolium mimics thiamine (Vitamin B1).
The problem started with this post,
Quote:
Which is incorrect no matter if the hen in on a medicated chick starter or a medicated starter/grower.
The products used in medicated type feeds thats intended for laying or a multi-flock is either Amprolium or Lasalocid.
Last checked there are no egg withdraw with either product since Lasalocid is confined to the alimentary canal of the bird and Amprolium mimics thiamine (Vitamin B1).
I'm well aware of what post started it, go ready my reply in post #10 of this thread addressing said post you referenced above where I pretty much fully agreed with what you just said... If you would like to address what I further stated in that post in regards to no long term and large scale studies proving definitely either way on the effects of medications in feed even those claimed to never get into the meat/egg feel free to do so, as I stand by what I stated 100%... I personally avoid medications on egg laying birds when possible and will avoid collecting eggs when medication is used, I never claimed it was bad, it's just my opinion it's best to avoid...
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- Thread starter
- #27
To clarify, we ARE a state of the US! So, not ALL US states have both medicated and non medicated starter/grower feed. On this island we have 1 pet store for small animal (pets like dog cat hamster and birds, such as parakeet and parrot. Our local True Value had chicks shipped in from a hatchery. They are the ONLY place to get chicken supplies. They do not carry the non medicated feed. Also did not carry grit. Had to buy adult and grind smaller. 
. They also have only two kinds of layer feed. Both the same company but one is crumbles and the other pellets. Both 16% , protein? Since all of my kids are together I just wondered when to switch to layer feed and would it hurt the younger ones. I can not figure how to keep them from eating each other's feed. Lol. Thanks for all the commentary!!
. They also have only two kinds of layer feed. Both the same company but one is crumbles and the other pellets. Both 16% , protein? Since all of my kids are together I just wondered when to switch to layer feed and would it hurt the younger ones. I can not figure how to keep them from eating each other's feed. Lol. Thanks for all the commentary!!
Interesting, well not here. medicated turkey growers -yes- but the general chicken growers are not medicated, you can get medicated starters and non-medicated though.
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To clarify, we ARE a state of the US! So, not ALL US states have both medicated and non medicated starter/grower feed. On this island we have 1 pet store for small animal (pets like dog cat hamster and birds, such as parakeet and parrot. Our local True Value had chicks shipped in from a hatchery. They are the ONLY place to get chicken supplies. They do not carry the non medicated feed. Also did not carry grit. Had to buy adult and grind smaller.
My feed stores don't carry unmedicated starter either.
I've since switched to flock raiser.
If you have males in your flock, you should not feed them a layer feed at all because then the boys are forced to consume too much calcium than is appropriate for their systems.
You can normally find small grit in a pet store, in the small bird section; finches need grit.
You can also use cuttle bones as a calcium source if all you have is chickens, since they can peck the shell and get some extra enrichment as well as calcium for eggs. The boys should leave it alone.
Crushed oyster shell can also be found at some fish supply stores, to help stabilize the water table during water changes (well...to that effect...it's more complicated than that though).
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I am aware of what you posted and I was not disagreeing with your post.
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