Do chickens need vitamins and Pro biotics

[Heather67]

Last year I fed my group Sabine Valley feed. They were a very sick alot and I lost alot. This group I have on Purina Layena feed with Probiotics, pre biotics, Yeast Vitamins, etc. Do chicken REALLY nee the extra stuff? In comparing the ingredients its pretty much the same except for the added items.

 

[Weeg]

No they don't need the extra vitamins if they are not sick. I you are worried about sickness, you can feed them medicated feed, but I love Purina flock raiser, so I bet you re good otherwise! Good job looking after your flock, Avery

 

[NatJ]

I you are worried about sickness, you can feed them medicated feed

Only works if you get the right medication for the right sickness!

The most common kind of medicine in chick food prevents coccidiosis and does nothing for any other conditions.

 

[Heather67]

I wasnt sure if the pro biotics pre biotics were necessary? The ingredients and vitamins in each brand are almost the same as well as the guaranteed analysis. The price is the biggest. 10.00 per bag difference.

 

[NatJ]

I wasnt sure if the pro biotics pre biotics were necessary? The ingredients and vitamins in each brand are almost the same as well as the guaranteed analysis. The price is the biggest. 10.00 per bag difference.

It is probably not worth $10 extra per bag.
Lots of chickens do fine on foods without those things.

 

[Folly's place]

What about the mill dates on those feed bags? I don't know anything about your previous feed, and it may have been fine, but if it was not so fresh, some vitamins are lost, or decreased, never good.
Here we feed Purina's Flock Raiser, always within two months of the mill date on each bag, so fresh. Do they need the probiotics? It doesn't hurt to have them, any way.
When we tried cheaper diets, long ago, results weren't so good, and we gave up on using price as of first importance.
Mary