Chick starter and older hens

[sben451]

I replaced the pine shavings in my brooder box which has 11 chicks (12 days old). Their feed is in a regular circular chick feeder, but they are incredibly messy with their feed. There has to be 5 lbs. of feed in the shavings that I removed. I usually dump the old shavings out toward the edge of the yard, but if I do that the adult chickens who free range every day will find and eat the chick starter in those shavings. Is this a bad thing? It is medicated feed and I'm not sure I want my laying hens eating that.

 

[bigkenny77]

the medicine will get in there eggs that's what i was told but will that hurt anything . i dont want any cihcken meds.

Kenny

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I personally wouldn't want to give medicated feed to my layers, but I don't know what the official recommendation is.

I feed organic nonmedicated chick starter and so my layers clean up my brooder messes now, but back in the days when I fed medicated starter, I threw it in the compost bin.

 

[sben451]

I'm thinking the compost bin would be a good place for the shavings, too.