"Grow & Finish" ok for 3 month pullets?

citizenhen

In the Brooder
10 Years
Mar 14, 2009
15
0
22
Richmond, VA
I gave our chicks the Purina Start & Grow (medicated) feed until they were about 10 weeks old. I wanted to get them off the medicated feed as I read it was beneficial for them to develop their own immunity to coccidiosis; but the only unmedicated feed I could find that seemed appropriate was this "Grow & Finish: from 5 weeks to market age" at the feed store... seems targeted at "broilers", but they have been eating it fine for the last few weeks and seem to be thriving. (They also have good access to our yard, grass, etc & some kitchen scraps.)

I probably wouldn't have thought twice about it, but a lady at a poultry farm we visited (a pretty big, not-free-range at ALL) operation, seemed to think I was crazy & said they needed to be on the Start & Grow until they were 5 months old... so now I am wondering.

Thoughts, anyone?
 
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I'm not familiar with the Grow and Finish - and I'd be wary of giving layers food meant for broilers - but Purina makes a product called Flock Raiser that can be used for your babies at this point. You can even keep them on Flock Raiser at laying age, if you provide extra calcium in the form of oyster shells (if you want calcium in the food itself, you can switch over to Layena at laying age).

Hope that helps!
 
Do you have another feed store that you can use ? With my birds I mix whole grains with Supplement when they get about 4 months of age , before that i keep them on chick starter or start & Grow , i prefer the Starter .
But if i could not get the whole grains then i would keep my birds on the "Chick Starter" or Start & Grow the rest of their lives /while making sure they have free choice ground oyster shell and fresh cool water at all times . I do not use the so called Layer Feeds because it is only formulated to produce eggs , It contains nothing for the following -vitality , continued Body growth , feather quality , Extend life expectancy , all around good health to fight off what bad weather , and egg laying might cause them .

One needs to make sure that the feed is put out for birds where they can not spill or knock it out on the ground . Once it gets down to a fine powder in the bottom you can mix it with a little water and the chickens will love it . If i have time i like to do this with feed right out of the bag each day , do not mix more that they will eat at one time as it will go sour if left sitting out (it's best to mix less than they will eat and they will allways love it .

Best to You ,
Shannon
South Alabama
 
thanks for the tips... we do not have a very good selection of feed stores around here. I wonder if continuing the Start & Grow is a better choice for them, even though it is medicated... hmmm.

any other tips on where to get quality feed?

thanks again!
Sara
 
Are you in the Richmond Va. area ? if so you should be able to look in your phone book maybe in the yellow pages and look under the headings of feed stores - farm supplies - livestock supplies - anything to do with farm and find what you need . If there is any kind of livestock sales in your area that might be a good starting or asking place . Richmond is a big city with (i assume) several feed stoes

I would continue using the starter you have now until you find another place to buy your feed . These feed stores can order you just about any kind of feed you want , I get my feed store to do this all the time .

As for as medication - i would not think there is enough in it to worry about , you can allways add other things into their feed equation .


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As long as you aren't feeding them medicated feed once they're laying, I guess. I wouldn't want to eat the eggs of a medicated chicken (I don't need treatment for coccidiosis, thank you very much!)
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I use a 15% grower/finisher for 10-18 week olds. I get it at TSC.

For the last two weeks I've had to wait on the truck to arrive because they have been out of feed. The manager said "this is the year of the chicken!" That's what the hatcheries have been saying too. Everyone wants chickens!! ...can't blame 'em..
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