Can You Feed Adult Chickens Medicated Starter/Grower?

[RollTideChicken]

As the long title states... Can you feed adult chickens medicated starter/grower?

I've got one rooster with the hopes to eventually have maybe 2 more with my hens. I read here that layer feed wasn't great for them. People suggested many other feed types including starter/grower but rather it was medicated or not never seemed to come up. So does that matter? I do have a calcium supplement available.
Thanks!

Edit: Well dang...I think I found my answer. Some folks are saying no.

 

[ronott1]

As the long title states... Can you feed adult chickens medicated starter/grower?

I've got one rooster with the hopes to eventually have maybe 2 more with my hens. I read here that layer feed wasn't great for them. People suggested many other feed types including starter/grower but rather it was medicated or not never seemed to come up. So does that matter? I do have a calcium supplement available.
Thanks!

The Medication is amprolium which is not really terrible for them. They do not need it though and it blocks thiamine. I would use up the medicated and feed the adults a flock raiser type of feed--not medicated

 

[RollTideChicken]

Yea my co-op doesn't have a 50lb bag of starter/grower that is not medicated. Would have been great cause it's 12% cheaper than the layer.

 

[member 373180]

I get a 50lb bag of flock maintainer, it is high in protein, low in calcium, and unmedicated. You might see if your feed store has something along those lines.

 

[chickens really]

Here I get Grower....Its non medicated....I put oyster shell out in a separate bowl for my Hens.....

 

[lazy gardener]

Even with the medicated being cheaper, I would not buy it for my flock. Amprolium is a Thiamine blocker. I have yet to hear any kind of logical research that says that's good for an adult bird to have in their diet. And, my personal position is that it's not good for a chick either. Will it hurt a chick? Probably not. But, my choice is to go the natural approach when building chick's immunities. You could use grower (as long as it's at least 16% (here, it's only 15%) Or you could use a multi flock at 18 - 20%. I would not want to go higher than 20%.

 

[chickens really]

Not to cause a debate....I was told by a Hatchery with my Broody Hens and Chicks to feed the medicated starter to protect the chicks as they grew....I had a bowl of medicated starter on the floor in the coop for chicks and non medicated grower in feeder for the flock...The other Chickens ate what ever from each feeder....Its really not a big deal in a short term basis....

 

[debid]

The OP, if I understand correctly, is thinking of feeding medicated starter as an all-flock feed. Long term. To avoid feeding roosters layer feed.

What are the health effects of doing so? IDK, I'm not sure there has been a study on that. But, I would expect that thiamine uptake being hindered over time would have negative consequences. So, if the only feed options are layer and medicated chick feed, use layer. Better to risk gout and kidney problems in the roosters than to give the whole flock a vitamin deficiency.

 

[SOHC-FTW]

Or find some game feed.

 

[WVduckchick]

Yea my co-op doesn't have a 50lb bag of starter/grower that is not medicated. Would have been great cause it's 12% cheaper than the layer.

Around me, layer is always cheapest. Chick and flock-raiser types are always more expensive.