Feed Question...

[ponygal]

My first BYC post! I've been lurking in here for a few months in preparation for my first time raising chicks and you have all been so helpful already

Here's my question:
We're picking up 13 Ameraucana and Cuckoo Maran chicks next week and they will have been vaccinated for Marek's. Does that mean that they should be on unmedicated chick starter? Or is it only an issue to give them medicated feed if they've been vaccinated for coccidiosis?
We have six 10 day old unvaxed chicks right now on medicated feed and I'm just wondering whether I need to go out and pick up some new feed for the vaxed chicks...?

TIA

 

[Judy]

It's only an issue if they've been vaccinated for coccidiosis.

Welcome to our forum, and have fun with them!

 

[ponygal]

Perfect - thanks! That will make things easier for sure.

A follow-up to my question...now that they'll all be on the same feed, do you think they'll be close enough in age to live in the same brooder? The new ones will be 12 days younger than the ones I have now...

 

[Judy]

Maybe. it says here that chicks under one month old can live together. You'll just have to try it, and hope you don't see any blood. People have a wide variety of experiences when mixing chickens.

 

[ponygal]

Good to know - I'll give it a shot. My brooder is big enough that I could put a divider in it and they'd all still have lots of room, but if they can share the heat plate that would be ideal...don't want to buy another one or use a heat lamp if I don't need to.

Thanks!