Chick Starter

[Darlene30683]

I am about to order a few ISA Brown chicks and want to make sure I have everything that's needed. My granddaughter suggested this site for information and advice.

What are your thoughts on medicated chick starter? I'm not one to use medications unless needed, but certainly want to do what's best.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I feed Purina Start & Grow Medicated for 10 weeks, then when bag is empty I switch to Nutrena Naturewise Starter Grower Non-medicated.
Both are available in 50 lb bags at TSC.

50 lbs goes quickly with 5 chicks.
I just raised 5 ISA Browns.

They are 23 weeks old now

and lay beautiful eggs

along with my 2 years old Barred Rocks.

GC

 

[Kiki]

Welcome!
The medicated part of the chick feed is not an antibiotic. Not that kind of medicine.
It's simple a thiamine blocker.

Totally safe and could prevent deadly coccidiosis.


"Description. Amprolium is a coccidiostat (antiprotozoal) used for the treatment and prevention of coccidiosis in calves, sheep, goats, chickens (broilers and breeders) and other fowl such as turkeys, with activity against Eimeria spp., especially Eimeria tenella and Eimeria necatrix."

 

[poultryprofessor]

lol .. 1 bag of chick start should grow 5-6 chicks out to the coop then you can switch to regualr or layers crumbles until theyre fully matured then go to pellets .. in the meantime after theyre in the coop you can 'cut' the expensive layers or otherwise feed by 50% with a bag of regular scratch ... on the starter, medicated or non dont matter alot of places wont have many options anyway .. yeah just grab a closed handful of dirt and toss it in the feeder when you add feed you'll be golden lol .. imo after theyre mature and you dont range them you might at that point want to supplement things with prepared grit and other things, if theyre ranged you dont got to worry about it .. ..

As a poultry nutritionist, I strongly disagree with pretty much everything said in the quoted post.

You will do more harm switching to layer feed too early than too late. Definitely do not put 8-week old chicks on layer feed. A little isn't going to hurt them, but they will not get the nutrients they need to grow properly if that is their primary source of feed. You can use a "starter" and then switch to a "grower" or "all flock" feed until they begin laying, but do not feed a layer feed until they are actively laying eggs. Even when they are laying eggs, they can stay on an all-flock or grower diet for a while - just provide free-choice oyster shell so they can supplement their calcium intake.

Do not "cut" your layer feed with scratch grains unless you want malnourished chicks and hens that don't produce eggs. Layer feed is already fairly low in protein content (usually 16%, sometimes 18% CP). Scratch grains aka corn are <9% CP. Chickens need protein. It's non-negotiable.

Chickens should have access to free-choice grit any time they have access to feed sources beyond commercial pellets/crumble. Have access to grass? Need access to grit. Getting whole grains? Need access to grit. Giving treats? Also give grit.


Actually, I'll agree on one point. I do agree that medicated or non-medicated doesn't matter. That's very much a personal choice. I usually feed medicated just because it is easier to get from local suppliers in my area.

 

[Willow2253]

You’d be surprised how much feed they can eat, but I like to feed medicated for the first few weeks, then once they’ve had a chance to build up some immunity to coccidiosis switch them to non medicated. Last time I had 10 chicks a 25 lb bag lasted a few weeks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I wrote this about "medicated feed" a few years back. It might help you understand what medicated feed does or doesn't do. For example, medicated feed does not give them immunity to Coccidiosis. If that bug is present it can help keep the numbers under control so they can develop immunity but if that bug is not present medicated feed does not give them any immunity.

First you need to know what the "medicated" is in the medicated feed. It should be on the label. Usually it is Amprolium, Amprol, some such product, but until you read the label, you really don't know. Most "medicated' feed from major brands for chicks that will be layers uses Amprolium, but there are a few out there mostly for broilers that use other medicines. I'll assume yours is an Amprolium product, but if it is not, then realize everything I say about it may not apply. And it is possible that the "medicated" is Amprolium AND something else.

Amprol is not an antibiotic. It does not kill anything. It inhibits the protozoa that cause coccidiosis (often called Cocci on this forum) from multiplying in the chicken's system. It does not prevent the protozoa from multiplying; it just slows that multiplication down. There are several different strains of protozoa that can cause Cocci, some more severe than others. Chickens can develop immunity to a specific strain of the protozoa, but that does not give them immunity to all protozoa that cause Cocci. Little bitty tiny baby chicks can develop that immunity easier than older chickens.

It is not a big deal for the chicken’s intestines to contain some of the protozoa that cause Cocci. The problem comes in when the number of those protozoa gets huge. The protozoa can multiply in the chicken’s intestines but also in wet manure. Different protozoa strains have different strengths, but for almost all cases, if you keep the brooder dry, you will not have a problem.

To develop immunity to a specific strain, that protozoa needs to be in the chicks intestines for two or three weeks. The normal sequence is that a chick has the protozoa. It poops and some of the cysts that develop the protozoa come out in the poop. If the poop is slightly damp, those cysts develop and will then develop in the chick's intestines when the chicks eat that poop. This cycle needs go on for a few weeks so all chicks are exposed and they are exposed long enough to develop immunity. A couple of important points here. You do need to watch them to see if they are getting sick. And the key is to keep the brooder dry yet allow some of the poop to stay damp. Not soaking wet, just barely damp. Wet poop can lead to serious problems.

What sometimes happens is that people keep chicks in a brooder and feed them medicated feed while they are in the brooder. Those chicks are never exposed to the Cocci protozoa that lives in the dirt in their run, so they never develop the immunity to it. Then, they are switched to non-medicated feed and put on the ground where they are for the first time exposed to the protozoa. They do not have immunity, they do not have the protection of the medicated feed, so they get sick. Feeding medicated feed while in the brooder was a complete waste.

I do not feed medicated feed. I keep the brooder dry to not allow the protozoa to breed uncontrollably. The third day that they are in the brooder, I take a scoop of dirt from the run and feed it to them so I can introduce the protozoa and they can develop the immunity they need to the strain they need to develop an immunity to. To provide a place for that slightly damp poop, I keep a square of plywood in the dry brooder and let the poop build up on that. I don't lose chicks to Cocci when they hit the ground.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding medicated feed to chicks, whether the protozoa are present or not. It will not hurt them. They can still develop the immunity they need. But unless the protozoa are present, it also does no good.

If you get your chicks vaccinated for Cocci, do not feed medicated feed. It can negate the vaccinations.

 

[poultryprofessor]

Beautiful hens! I had no idea they would go through so much feed! Would it be possible to supplement the chick starter with something like persimmons? We have an abundance of them this year. Or would that not be a good idea with young chicks?

No, it is generally not a good idea to supplement chick starter with anything.

Chick starter is like baby formula in that it is produced to meet the nutritional needs of the growing chicken. Remember, your little chicks will start out at about 35 grams (0.08 lbs) and will grow to 2000+ grams (4.5+ lbs) in 6 months. This requires a lot of protein and specific amounts of vitamins/minerals. Most of the items you may have in abundance (like persimmons, corn, grass) are low in protein and/or have poor nutrient availability. Commercial chicken feeds are designed to meet all of the needs of your chickens including macronutrients (protean, carbs, fat) as well as vitamins and minerals.

Chickens can eat persimmons, but I would only feed them as a treat to adult laying hens. Even then, feed sparingly or you may find your birds are losing weight and not producing eggs.

 

[DesertGrrl]

I did a lot of research and would rather be safe then sorry with chicks.
I went with Medicated Purina Grower/Starter.
My two chicks grow awesome on it and are nice and healthy.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
There's a 'mill date' somewhere on each bag of livestock feed, and for your chickens, it's best to buy within about one month of milling. You will use that 50 lb. bag up in plenty of time! Medicated feed is fine, in the USA it should be amprolium, as mentioned, not an antibiotic.
Post pictures! Let's see your brooder and coop! Chicks are a lot of fun, and the eggs are terrific.
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

Many hatcheries have write-ups on their site about how to care for baby chicks. Some of them try to sell additional product but basic care is there. You can also read articles in the "Articles" tab above. What baby chicks need is food, water, protection from predators, and protection from the environment.

Food - You can write a book on this. The critical information is on the label. That's mainly percent calcium and percent protein. You want a low calcium feed, too much calcium can cause problems. You generally get two choices, somewhere around 4% which is too much and somewhere around 1% which is right.

People have strong opinions on protein. I've seen chicks do well on so many different feeding regimens I don't have strong opinions. I do consider it best to use a feed with a percent protein around 18% to 20% the first month or until the bag runs out. After a month or the bag runs out, whichever is later, you can switch to a lower protein level if you wish, often called Grower, but continuing with an 18% or 20% works too.

Feed comes in three different forms: mash, pellets, and crumbles. This has nothing to do with the nutrient level, more to do with how automatic feeding machinery works. To make mash they gather al the ingredients and grind them to a powder. To make pellets they make a paste with mash and water, force it through a dye, and flash dry it. To make crumble they partially crush pellets. For baby chicks crumbles are generally best. Pellets are too big for them to handle until they grow some. Mash tends to separate due to gravity and the different specific gravities of the components so it's best serves as a paste. Crumbles are just easier.

Water- You can get all kinds of additives if you want. As long as you follow instructions it will not hurt them. What they need is clean water. There are a lot of different ways to provide water. If they can poop in it they will. If mosquitoes can get to it they'll lay eggs in it. Either can be unhealthy so if the water can get dirty or mosquitoes can get to it, change it out regularly. Clean water is a need.

Predator protection - If you brood outside all kinds of things like to eat chickens. In your house a pet dog or cat might be a danger. Unsupervised kids may not handle them gently.

Environmental protection - They need to stay out of a wind, they are easy to chill until they feather out. They need to stay dry, not just them but the brooder. A wet brooder is a health threat and will stink. Keep it dry. Until they feather out (4 to 5 weeks) they need heat if it's too cold. That's a long topic. Excess heat is also a danger. What works best is a spot they can go to so they can warm up if they get cold in the coolest conditions but they also need a spot they can go to to cool off if they get too warm in the warmest conditions. If you are brooding in your house or some climate controlled area that's not to hard. I brood outside in the coop. That's a little more challenging as I've had it go from below freezing to the 70's Fahrenheit (24C) in 36 hours.

As far as I'm concerned that's the basics. There is an infinite number of ways you can do any of these. Good luck!