Flockraiser for chicks? Please help!

[Hen_House_Rocks!]

I was hoping someone with experience could chime in and let me know if what I am feeding my new chicks is okay.

I went to our Farm & Home store to buy food & supplies several weeks before my new chicks were due to arrive. They only carry medicated crumbles, no chick starter. I was told since my chicks were vaccinated, not to feed them the medicated food, to feed purina flock raiser. Purina is the only brand they carry, and the options were flock raiser, layer pellets and some type of meat bird feed.

Is the flock raiser okay? My br pullet's are now 7 days old and have been eating the flock raiser since day 1 with no problems. They free range in our yard and garden for several hours each evening and seem to be catching & eating an awful lot of bugs. (I also have chick grit for them in a dish inside their brooder.) My instict tells me that they are getting a lot of protein from the crickets and ants that they seem to love chasing and catching. No pasty butts or any other signs of illness. They seem to have lots of energy and spunk so I am thinking that the flock raiser is fine but just heard that the protein level in it is not ideal as a starter food. What do you guys think? You're the experts!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I am no expert BUT I do feed Flock Raiser. I have chickens, ducks and geese.

I love the higher protien and add oyster shells/crushed egg shells for everyone who is near/at/over egg laying age.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

I feed flock raisier, because I keep my chicks in a brooder coop and let them out to freerange - naturally, when the door is open, the big chickens go right on it to sample their food. Plus, I can feed it to the quail, without having medication in it.

However, when the babies go out to free range, they go after the big chickens' food

I guess it's a give and take thing - they get enough flock raisier for the extra protein, and the big girls get a little boost of protein sometimes, too.

eta - the protein level isn't that much lower than chick starter.

meri

 

[hinkjc]

I have fed chicks flockraiser as well. The only thing I want to mention is that our feed store said the crumble flockraiser only comes in medicated. So I would check on that. You can look at the label to see if amprolium is in the ingredients.

What were the chicks vaccinated for? If it was for cocci, then I do believe it is correct that medicated feed should not be used. If it was for something else, the feed wouldn't matter.

 

[BeccaOH]

I have used only the Purina flockraiser in the green bag for all my hatchlings (chicken, duck, geese, turkey, guinea, and peacock). All have or are currently during very well on it. My oldest raised on it are now at 5 months old. I do like it.

 

[hinkjc]

Becca, does your flockraiser have amprolium in it? Also, is it crumble or pellet? I've heard you shouldn't feed medicated feed to ducks/geese - so maybe it does come without it. That would be helpful to know.

 

[BeccaOH]

I really don't believe this has it in it, but I'll check the ingredients when I can. I didn't want to use medicated.

It is in a crumble form.

 

[mstricer]

Purina does make non-medicated chick start and grow. I never vac. and did not want and meds. in their feed (Its all about keeping them clean.) Your feed store should be able to order it for you. Thats what mine does he doesnt carry it. But orders for me and another gal in town. check out their web page

http://poultry.purinamills.com/

 

[Laurelm]

I feed flock raiser to my geese, turkeys, ducks and chickens - everyone lives together. But I feed my chicks - chick starter for the few 3 or so months.

I also put out a few purina flock blocks. My birds really love them!!

 

[Akane]

Medicated crumbles what? Chick starter is usually medicated crumbles. Crumbles simply tells you what type of pieces the food is and you can have layer crumbles, starter crumbles, grower crumbles, etc... You can also have all those in mash and most in pellets. It just tells you a different type or size of the feed particles. Then you can have medicated or non medicated feed although usually only chick starter is medicated so odds are a medicated crumble is a chick starter unless it's for another type of poultry.