Chicks Arriving Today - Feed Question

[nateschisler]

25 Cornish X's arriving today. Purchased through a local feed mill from a local (in the same state) supplier. Other poultry raisers who frequent there, as well as many members of this forum, advocate Turkey Starter from start to finish. So I have purchased "Purina Turkey Starter MP 0.0125%". Active Drug Ingredient - Amprolium 0.0125%. I have read on here about the need for vitamins and the like for chicks to reduce leg problems. Will this feed take care of that need, or do I need to purchase something different?

Also...what are the pros/cons to finishing on corn. What is the purpose, what does it do for them?

Thanks!

 

[pdpatch]

If you use the have feed available 12 on and 12 hours off and don't wait to long to butcher, generally you don't need to add vitamen supplement.

generally if you have feed available 24 hours, you will butcher at around 6 weeks 7 weeks max. Longer then this you risk looseing birds. I you use the 12/12 schedule butcher its between 7 to 10 weeks.

If you don't want to take to many chances you can add a viteman supplement to there water. If there Poop turns runny add the viteman supplement. If you just want to make sure, then add it for the first couple of weeks, as it doesn't really cost that much. But the debate will be the same as using medicated or non-medicated feed. Some places in the US are lower risk for avian diesese.

When we finish Cornish cross, we just use fancy scratch in additional to there normal ration. Fancy Scratch has other grains and seeds in it be sides cracked corn.

Tom

PS. Corn adds yellow dye to the birds fat, so instead of white fat it looks more of the traditional yellow. It also appears to add a bit more fat then if you didn't use it. Because the time Cornish cross around to eat it it really has little or no effect on them other then changing the color of the fat. In other animals it removes some of that gamey taste that most people don't like.