They can be fed medicated starter up until their laying age (around 18 weeks). By that point you'll want them on a layer mash or an all-flock recipe when they start laying. The important thing to remember with medicated starter is that you'll want to keep feeding it for a few weeks after the chicks first come in contact with the soil. At this time they are the most vulnerable to coccidiosis, and they will need the help from the medicated starter. I usually transition my chickens to their adult feed once they have been living on the soil for a good three or four weeks. Hope this helps!
My chicks are about to hatch and i was wondering will the mother need her own food or will she eat the chick starter and live off of that???? Any advice will help. I'm new here.
From what I hear it's safe to give the mother hen the medicated feed. She won't be laying eggs anytime soon, so she won't need the high-calcium layer feed. Oh, and
I have a mixed flock of roosters, pullets of 18 weeks, and 3 7 week olds...I will continue to give starter/grower with oyster shell on the side in a separate feeder for the girls laying...they will need this for stronger egg shells. It won't hurt them, IF i find Flock Raiser, I will switch over, but still offer the oyster shell on the side. (or crushed egg shell fed back to the chickens.)
thanks for everything. I'm expecting them on august 8th. i'll post when they hatch!!!!!!! Any tips for me????? this is my first time doing this. anything helps.
Quote:check out the home page and click on "Raising Chickens 101"....there are a million (literally) people on here that can help when you need it. Just make sure you have a brooder set up, heat, etc....you will do great, and remember there are NO dumb questions!
