Can I feed my chicks flock raiser instead of chick starter?

[K0k0shka]

I have three 3-week-old chicks being raised by a broody with the flock and everybody is eating medicated chick starter. I have an unfinished bag of flock raiser from before the chicks hatched, and I don't want it to sit around and get old until the chicks grow up. I'm using Purina and their chick starter is 18% protein, while the flock raiser is 20% protein. Can I switch the whole flock to flock raiser? I don't think there's a way to feed the adults and the chicks separately, so the chicks would be eating flock raiser as well. Is 3 weeks of medicated feed plus life outside enough to give the chicks enough of an advantage against coccidiosis? Their coop is kept very dry and their run is partially covered and has wood chips for bedding, so it doesn't get muddy or gross at all. I'm trying to figure out if there's any downsides to feeding the chicks flock raiser. Crumble size is a little bit larger but that won't be an issue for them, they're old enough to swallow much bigger things by now.

I also have another batch of chicks in a brooder inside the house, so the unfinished bag of medicated chick starter can be finished by them.

 

[azygous]

I was once in the feed store to buy chick starter many years ago for some new chicks that were about to hatch. I decided to compare the labels on Flock Raiser and the starter. It was a hunch, and my hunch paid off. The two are nearly identical in everything but protein amount. Chick starter is slightly lower.

Since then, I've fed all my chicks Flock Raiser from day one, and they've thrived. The reverse is also true. Lately the two local feed stores have been out of Flock Raiser for nearly a month. In the interim, I've been buying chick starter to feed my adult flock.

So, yes, go for it.

 

[K0k0shka]

I was once in the feed store to buy chick starter many years ago for some new chicks that were about to hatch. I decided to compare the labels on Flock Raiser and the starter. It was a hunch, and my hunch paid off. The two are nearly identical in everything but protein amount. Chick starter is slightly lower.

Since then, I've fed all my chicks Flock Raiser from day one, and they've thrived. The reverse is also true. Lately the two local feed stores have been out of Flock Raiser for nearly a month. In the interim, I've been buying chick starter to feed my adult flock.

So, yes, go for it.

Thank you! I had the same hunch. I've never been convinced of the necessity to divide up poultry feed into so many categories... Certainly didn't see a reason to split it up between age groups for ordinary chickens (that is, nothing specialized like beefing up meat birds or adding calcium for layers etc.) And it doesn't make sense to me why chick starter would have lower protein, since chicks are growing and need the protein to grow...

Hearing it from you gives me peace of mind though, so thanks. I value your opinion