Can I switch the brand of starter feed for 5 week old chicks/chickens and how long does it keep fres

[LadyKjo]

I'm completely new at this, and I have been feeding our two little girls with Manna Pro Medicated Chick starter which was suggested by the feed store nearby. It's only sold in a 5lb bag for $6, which wasn't bad for the first few weeks as they didn't go through the feed so quickly, but my chicks are getting pretty big now and it seems the bag I just bought is practically gone after a week. I saw a 50 lb bag of Purina Start & Grow Medicated for $15 at Tractor Supply and was wondering if it is the same thing or if I should just keep them on the Manna Pro until they reach 18 weeks? Would switching the feed cause any problems? I have a bin that I can keep the big bag in (rat/mice proof pet food bin) so I am not worried about it getting eaten by creepy things and/or spoiling, although I have no idea how long you can keep dry feed and still keep it fresh. I'm just trying to save a little money by not having to buy a 5Lb bag each week and it looked like a good deal for 50lbs. Also, I've heard bad things about Purina cat & dog food (my cat is allergic to corn in her food and most of their foods are mainly corn), but not sure if it applies to chicken feed, as chickens do eat grains and corn.

Now that it's finally gotten warmer out, I have been letting the girls outside for short periods of time to forage around the yard while we build their outdoor coop as they are really getting to big for the brooder box, so they would get some grasses and whatever they could scratch out of the yard, too- we have a lot of worms in our yard and live by a lake, so all kinds of tasty bugs for them to chase and eat. I'll have to post some picks of the girls as they are growing up fast and looking beautiful, and I want to keep it that way.

Thanks!

 

[Judy]

I would definitely buy the cheaper, larger bag. I will be very surprised if it causes any problems. If it seems different to them, it is possible they will be somewhat hesitant at first, just because chickens are always hesitant about new things. But I promise you they will eat it very soon, long before they go hungry!

 

[LadyKjo]

I got the big bag, and they chicks seem just fine transitioning to it. I don't even think they noticed a difference in the brand as they gobbled it right up. I guess I was just worried that it was like when you switch cat or dog food and you have to do it gradually over a week, but these little piggies didn't seem to care what I put in their food bowl.