expired medicated starter feed

[aschluet]

I have some expired medicated chick starter from Kalmbach. Manufactured at the end of May 2024, with a shelf life of 6 months, ok to use until November 2024 (3 months ago). Chewy kept shipping replacements until they decided to give me a refund instead. I have chicks arriving in 2-3 days. Should I go out and try to find something else? I won't be able to get Kalmbach around here, maybe Purina from TSC, but I've heard lots of stories of expired feed there too.

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC, and congratulations on getting new chicks! What are you getting?

As for the feed, I would get something fresher.

 

[FrostRanger]

Old feed loses much of its nutrients, I'd get a fresh bag of whatever you can get ahold of

 

[aschluet]

Welcome to BYC, and congratulations on getting new chicks! What are you getting?

As for the feed, I would get something fresher.

I'm starting kinda big. I have 18 chicks coming, 2 each of: Salmon Faverolles, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Olive Egger, Green Queen Easter Egger, Golden Cuckoo Marans, Black Copper Marans, Cream Legbar, Black Ameraucana and Buff Orpington.

I think intellectually I know I should just get fresh(er) feed. I just have a hard time throwing away 6 bags of $27 feed that cost nothing.

 

[casportpony]

I'm starting kinda big. I have 18 chicks coming, 2 each of: Salmon Faverolles, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Olive Egger, Green Queen Easter Egger, Golden Cuckoo Marans, Black Copper Marans, Cream Legbar, Black Ameraucana and Buff Orpington.

Wow, that's a great collection, I can't wait to see pictures of them!

I think intellectually I know I should just get fresh(er) feed. I just have a hard time throwing away 6 bags of $27 feed that cost nothing.

You could feed it to the birds. And to be honest, as long as it wasn't moldy. I'd feed it to my adult flock. Maybe you could put an ad on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace and see it with a disclaimer that it's old.

 

[Perris]

I'm starting kinda big. I have 18 chicks coming, 2 each of: Salmon Faverolles, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Olive Egger, Green Queen Easter Egger, Golden Cuckoo Marans, Black Copper Marans, Cream Legbar, Black Ameraucana and Buff Orpington.

I think intellectually I know I should just get fresh(er) feed. I just have a hard time throwing away 6 bags of $27 feed that cost nothing.

Every inch those chicks grow will be composed of what you feed them now. It is more important to give chicks good food than it is to feed them properly at any other life stage; they will be literally what they eat.

If what you feed them is deficient in something important, it will have consequences for the growth of one or another of their systems - e.g. nervous system, immune system, digestive system, as well as the bits you will be able to see, such as their toes curling or their feathers ragged, because what they needed to build those bits properly was not there in their feed. Would you rather throw away the money you spent to buy the chicks?

 

[aschluet]

You could feed it to the birds. And to be honest, as long as it wasn't moldy. I'd feed it to my adult flock. Maybe you could put an ad on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace and see it with a disclaimer that it's old.

I was thinking about doing something like that. I think I wouldn't hesitate to mix it in with other feed for adults, but I don't have any yet!

 

[Perris]

I was thinking about doing something like that. I think I wouldn't hesitate to mix it in with other feed for adults, but I don't have any yet!

if you are interested, I make my own feed for adults and chicks. Method and ingredients here
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...eat-tears-a-calculator-or-deep-pockets.78655/
the chick feed is made of things available in a supermarket if not already in your cupboards.

 

[NatJ]

Should I go out and try to find something else? I won't be able to get Kalmbach around here, maybe Purina from TSC, but I've heard lots of stories of expired feed there too.

I would have a look in your local store, and see if you find any fresher feed. If yes, buy a bag.

If your local store does not have any fresher feed, I would just use the feed you have. There's no point in buying more feed that is also old!

I'm starting kinda big. I have 18 chicks coming, 2 each of: Salmon Faverolles, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Olive Egger, Green Queen Easter Egger, Golden Cuckoo Marans, Black Copper Marans, Cream Legbar, Black Ameraucana and Buff Orpington.

I think intellectually I know I should just get fresh(er) feed. I just have a hard time throwing away 6 bags of $27 feed that cost nothing.

If you can get fresh feed, maybe buy one bag of fresh feed and use it for the first few weeks, then mix in the older feed as they get bigger and eat more. You could keep mixing fresh feed and older feed, or just feed them the older feed until it's gone.

Yes, using the old feed later will mean it is older yet, but I think not be enough to make a big difference. You say it was manufactured in May 2024, so it's already 10 months old. Letting it go to 11 or 12 months will not make a big change in the nutrient levels (may drop a little more, probably not a lot more.)

 

[aschluet]

Kalmbach got back to me and said that this feed should last for 12 months. For reference, their website says 6 months for all feed except 9-12 months for packages under 12#. However, they are going to send me a fresh replacement bag. It likely won't be here before the chicks, so I still think I need to try to find something else.