Do These Nutrition Recommendations Check Out?

[AmyJane725]

These are the ages and protein requirements given by MyPetChicken. I've been researching chicken feed lately, and I've been going off this guideline. Something seems off though, because the majority of chick starter feeds are only 18% protein. I haven't been able to find one that is at least 20% protein and also medicated. Have recommendations been adjusted or something and this is out of date? Also, I've seen other places saying you should feed starter until 8 weeks old, then grower until they start laying eggs and then switch to layer. Others say do starter until 18 weeks then switch to layer (which confuses me, because I don't think they'll be laying at 18 weeks. I thought they start at like 24 weeks...)

Ideal protein for laying breeds based on age

• Chicks up to 6 weeks old: 20% - 22% protein
• 7 weeks to point of lay: 14% - 16% protein
• Once they have started laying: 15% - 18% protein
• All-purpose, over 6 weeks old: 16% protein

Also, does anyone have anything to say one way or the other about medicated feed? Seems like a reasonable precaution to take. I'm not really for giving unnecessary medicine, but as far as I know the disease is quite prevalent and the amprollium is harmless. Anyone out there who knows reasons not to give it?

 

[DobieLover]

These are the ages and protein requirements given by MyPetChicken. I've been researching chicken feed lately, and I've been going off this guideline. Something seems off though, because the majority of chick starter feeds are only 18% protein. I haven't been able to find one that is at least 20% protein and also medicated. Have recommendations been adjusted or something and this is out of date? Also, I've seen other places saying you should feed starter until 8 weeks old, then grower until they start laying eggs and then switch to layer. Others say do starter until 18 weeks then switch to layer (which confuses me, because I don't think they'll be laying at 18 weeks. I thought they start at like 24 weeks...)

Ideal protein for laying breeds based on age

• Chicks up to 6 weeks old: 20% - 22% protein
• 7 weeks to point of lay: 14% - 16% protein
• Once they have started laying: 15% - 18% protein
• All-purpose, over 6 weeks old: 16% protein

Also, does anyone have anything to say one way or the other about medicated feed? Seems like a reasonable precaution to take. I'm not really for giving unnecessary medicine, but as far as I know the disease is quite prevalent and the amprollium is harmless. Anyone out there who knows reasons not to give it?

I completely LOVE that you are questioning the information you are gathering on the internet! That is what everyone should be doing.

Here is my simple answer:
Put your chicks on an All Flock type of feed that has 18 to 20% protein and keep them on it for their entire lives.
Keep a separate container with grit in it. Use chick grit when they are small. Use regular grit when they are around 10 weeks old.
When they are 16 weeks old, put out one more container with oyster shell or some other highly concentrated calcium source.
That's it.
You do not need to feed scratch or any other treats but chickens are extremely good at training their owners to feed them treats. Just keep up your resistance and keep treats to a low roar and your chickens will be healthy.

I did not feed a medicated starter. I did offer my chicks plugs of sod from my yard when they were 2 weeks old. THAT is a good treat!

If you are like me, you will be out watching your chicks constantly. If you see signs of coccidiosis, you will treat with Corid. I strongly recommend you have a bottle of Corid in your chicken first aid kit as you need to act fast to treat when you see the first signs of this disease.

 

[AmyJane725]

Thank you. I really try to do my research, and when conflicting data presents itself I like to figure out why.

So, 18-20% for their entire lives. Is the lower protein when they get older more for the sake of saving the companies money than what's actually healthy for the birds? I have read that "chick starter" wasn't even a thing a few decades ago, so that seems to support feeding the same food their entire lives. What food do you use, if you don't mind my asking?

Gotcha covered on the grit/oyster shell. My only question on the grit is this: Do banties use regular sized grit, or will they use chick grit forever since they're so little?

I'm glad you mentioned about a "Chicken First Aid Kit". I've been meaning to start a topic about that too, but maybe you can just answer me here.

What items do you think it's important to have in a chicken first aid kit (the kind of stuff you'd have to get at the store, which will probably be closed late at night when the life or death situation is happening)?

I've heard a lot of vitamin names floating around, some disinfectants, Nutri-Drench or something like that for electrolytes, needle-less syringes... I'm all ears.

 

[AmyJane725]

Also, is it mostly chicks that are at risk for coccidiosis, and if you get them through to adulthood, they probably won't ever get it?

And yes, I plan to watch my chicks like a hawk
Their brooder is literally 2 feet from my bed.
I have an air purifier, so may the chick dust gods smile upon me

 

[DobieLover]

IMO, the lower protein recommendation comes from INDUSTRY recommendations to maximize profit and egg/meat production at a minimum cost. Left to their druthers, chickens will hunt down any little protein source they can get their beaks on.

I like to read the ER threads to learn. It is because of that desire to learn that I added Corid to my kit and was able to immediately act when I saw a single pullet suddenly puffed up and lethargic one day shortly after integrating new pullets to the flock. None of the birds had abnormal droppings. I drenched her three days in a row and treated the entire flock in Corid water for 5 days. The sick pullet snapped out of it the very next day and none of the others ever showed symptoms.

I have the Corid, Vetericyn Plus, a small tin of drawing salve, blukote, liquid Safeguard (and a pipet, bulb and 100 ml volumetric flask I got to have from work because they were old), 10% permethrin, Poultry Nutri-drench, 1 ml and 3 ml syringes and a handful of my mom's diabetic needles, a bottle of Tylan 50, VetRX, I recently placed an order with Allivet for some meds for the dogs and added a bottle of Fishmox and SMZ-TMP fish aid to have if I ever need them. I also kept 2 unopened tubes of erythromycin ointment. I plan to add a tube of pine tar to my kit.

Adult chickens can get coccidiosis if they are exposed to a new strain of coccidia oocysts (ie. the introduction of new birds to the flock.) Coccidia are nearly always present in the intestines of the birds but are kept in healthy balance, just like humans have a variety of flora in our guts. It's when we suffer some type of stress and our immune system suffers or we are treating with a specific antibiotic that may target a beneficial bacteria inadvertently, then one type of bacteria or another can grow out of control and cause disease.

 

[AmyJane725]

On some of the medicines I'm only finding results for cattle, swine and goats. Does it not really matter what animal it says the meds are for?

 

[DobieLover]

On some of the medicines I'm only finding results for cattle, swine and goats. Does it not really matter what animal it says the meds are for?

No. But the larger the animal, the larger the amount of medication in the delivery system (pill, capsule, liquid, etc.) so you have to dilute it more to be of use in a chicken.

You can buy many anitbiotics by purchasing what is packaged for fish. The price will be better and it will be easier to dilute it to the correct dosage for a chicken.

 

[AmyJane725]

Sorry to be a pain, but would you mind linking me to the products you use for the following. I'm searching and the stuff that comes up is weird. As for the erythromycin ointment, I just find neosporin. That's fine as long as there's no painkiller in it, right?
drawing salve, liquid Safeguard, Fishmox, SMZ-TMP fish aid, pine tar

 

[Cindy in PA]

Actually lower protein between chick stage & the age of laying is to keep them from laying too young. While we all love getting the first eggs, having them lay too young is not a good thing.

 

[DobieLover]

Sorry to be a pain, but would you mind linking me to the products you use for the following. I'm searching and the stuff that comes up is weird. As for the erythromycin ointment, I just find neosporin. That's fine as long as there's no painkiller in it, right?

The erythromycin ointment (ophthalmic) was a left over prescription for me from my doctor!

Prid drawing salve:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GKN36W/?tag=backy-20

Liquid Safeguard:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHLVB8/?tag=backy-20

Fishmox:
https://www.allivet.com/p-2377-fish-mox-amoxicillin.aspx

SMZ-TMP:
https://www.allivet.com/p-9140-fish-aid-antibiotics-sulfa-tablets.aspx

Allivet has lots of other antibiotics on the fish/bird page: doxycycline, metronidazole, cephalexin, clindamycin, fluconazole, ciprofloxacin and penicillin.