Chicks here soon—quintuple-check on feed info

[NightingaleJen]

Our chicks will arrive the week of 7/20. (YAY! Finally!) You'd think I would be dead-certain after wanting chickens for ten years, but no...

My thought was to start the bird on an all-flock pellet (there's a TSC about 20 miles away) with sprinkles of grit and, maybe week 2-3, a clump of grass from outdoors with the dirt attached. Will that work? Would it be better to mix in a medicated chick feed with the all-flock? I plan to stay on top of cleaning, but part of me thinks "better safe than sorry". Which is why I'm here learning from all of you well-experienced types.

 

[AgnesGray]

Woo hoo! So exciting to have chicks coming! Congrats!

If your chicks are day-old and not started juvenile chicks, I'd get chick crumbles (medicated or not) to start off. I would be concerned that they can choke on the pellets when they're small. To help them get started eating, I put a few crumbles on a paper towel and let them get a feel and eye for what food is before even having it in a chick feeder. I let them spend some time on the grass or you can put a chunk of grass in with them after a few weeks. (There are different opinions about that, but mine have never been sick from being on grass.)

Good luck and congratulations on finally getting your flock!

 

[Folly's place]

They will be too small to eat the pelleted feed, and a crumble will be much better! Look at your feed choices and their mill dates at the feed store, because fresh is really important too. You won't actually know what your ground has as far as it's coccidia load, so a medicated chick starter would be the safe choice, fed until they have been on your ground for a couple of weeks. Then, either an unmedicated chick feed, or an all-flock feed will be terrific.
They need chick grit if they will be eating anything besides that crumble, so sometime early on, put some out there in a separate dish.
Pictures! Post pictures! Who can resist cute chicks? What are you getting?
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

I agree a pellet would probably be too big for chicks to easily eat, so a chick crumble is better. Medicated or not is up to you - I opt not to use medicated and instead keep Corid on hand, but if you're going to use medicated, stick with all medicated instead of 50/50 (don't dilute it down, or there's no point in using it).

If your chicks are vaccinated for coccidiosis, do NOT use medicated feed as it will nullify the vaccine.

 

[NightingaleJen]

Thank you all. Maybe I will go w/chick crumble at first, then, especially w/this being our first flock. @AgnesGray, I have seen the "paper towels over shavings" with the feed scattered on top on the first day before and it does make sense.

@rosemarythyme We do (as of last night) have Corid in the house...I keep going back and forth (obviously). You are right about diluting it, though. Is there a particular reason you don't use the medicated starter (pretty sure I've read your thoughts about this elsewhere but it does not ever hurt to review!). Our birds are coming from Cackle, and their website says they only vaccinate for Marek's. I have a question about my order anyhow so I'll drop them a line to be certain.

@Folly's place, Once they're here I doubt I will be able to resist posting 5,000 photos! We have ordered Dominiques, which I've wanted since the idea of getting our own flock popped into my head, as well as Black Australorps and Easter Eggers. I wanted Buckeyes, but Hubby thinks EEs are cute, so we went for those. I do have some photos of the coop up, in this thread!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-ideas-on-page-2.1343830/page-3#post-22781300

 

[Folly's place]

We've had several orders of Cackle chicks, including two orders this spring, and are very happy with their birds.
The coccidiosis 'vaccine' is actually a low dose of a milder strain of coccidia, and even one meal of medicated starter feed wipes it out. I don't have that vaccine done, only the Marek's disease vaccine.
Some properties and flocks will have issues with coccidiosis, and others won't, and we all find this out over time, and trial, and sometimes errors.
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

@rosemarythyme We do (as of last night) have Corid in the house...I keep going back and forth (obviously). You are right about diluting it, though. Is there a particular reason you don't use the medicated starter (pretty sure I've read your thoughts about this elsewhere but it does not ever hurt to review!).

It's mainly because I feed organic and have never seen organic medicated starter, not sure if it exists? Also because I raise my chicks outdoors, they're exposed to any "germs" in the air and soil right away, so my hope is to build up immunity through exposure.

 

[Folly's place]

I thought that amprolium is okay to use in organic chickens?
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

I thought that amprolium is okay to use in organic chickens?
Mary

Heck if I know. My eggs are "organic enough" .

Even if it is, I haven't seen medicated organic feed, at least not from any of the brands I use.

 

[NightingaleJen]

It's mainly because I feed organic and have never seen organic medicated starter, not sure if it exists? Also because I raise my chicks outdoors, they're exposed to any "germs" in the air and soil right away, so my hope is to build up immunity through exposure.

Ah. I'm not terribly concerned about organic—we'll go that route if possible but it is not Absolutely Necessary.

Sorry, you raise them outdoors? In the run, I'm guessing?

We have a wee (expandable to old dog crate) brooding area in our coop which is where we'll have to raise our chicks (our carriage house is small, plus we have two feline overlords). Building the run has not yet started, though as I wrote earlier, I'm happy to bring in clumps of dirt and/or grass for the chicks after we've had them for a couple of weeks. The neighbors 3/4 mile down the road have chickens but they're the nearest I've seen...and our property was very thick woods & brush until 3.5 years ago.

@Folly's place, I was just reading something you'd written about Cackle earlier, too! The neighbor with chickens is a very smart teenager who loves raising birds, and he said Cackle is the best. Between that recommendation (his birds are gorgeous, we occasionally see them out when we cruise by), one from another neighbor who used to raise chickens, and what I've read here and seen on various hatchery's websites...I was most comfortable with them.

I do know that cocci 'vaccine' and medicated feed wipe each other out. I'll have to ask the folks at Cackle.

I'm getting so excited...and nervous. LOL We'll survive! (I hope)