? About Protein for Meaties

[mylilchix]

I've had my meaties for about a week now, and have had them on Start & Grow. I plan on weaning them off of that in the next few days and then switching them to a broiler feed. Our local feed store carries a chick/ broiler feed that isn't medicated, but has a protien level of 23%. Will that be too high or is it ok for the remainder of their time here?

Thanks, Sonja

 

[MissPrissy]

You need to leave them on the starter for at least 3 - 4 weeks for the very best results. Just because they grow quick and look like a much older chick don't make the mistake of treating them like an older chick. At 1 week they are still very fragile. At 2 weeks they are still fragile. I would not change them over to broiler feed just yet. If you do I think you will start seeing problems.

 

[mylilchix]

The broiler feed they had was a chick starter/broiler feed, but it wasn't medicated. Could I do a mix of the medicated feed and this one for a while?

Sonja

 

[MissPrissy]

I don't medicate anything I plan on eating.

 

[pdpatch]

For a standard breed chicken:

starter is usually up to about 4 weeks or more. the switch to a straight grower.

If it is a start/grower that can be fed the entire time, or you can switch to a finisher ration for the last 6 to 4 weeks. Normally you won't be able to find a bagged finisher ration, it is usually custom mixed.

For a cornish cross:

feed the stater/grower the entire time, of 6 to 10 weeks.

When ever you change the feed there will be a brief period of stress which they will not grow as fast.

As far as mixing medicated and non-medicated feed in an emergancy, yes you can but medicated feed is usually not used past 6 to 8 weeks of age.

It is not uncommon for the bigger chain type farm stores to run out of certain types of bagged feed. So it is best to look for an alternate source of feed.

 

[mylilchix]

Thanks for the advice. I was planning on doing start & grow for 2 weeks, and then switch them. I think I'll pick up a bag or 2 of the starter grower for them this week, and start weaning them off of the other feed. Hopefully, they'll grow big and fat!!

At 2 weeks old they already look huge to me.

Sonja