Help me pick a chick feed from my two choices, please.

[rhondapiper]

Hi all.

I'm getting my first chicks in May and I'm trying to make sure I do the best I can with them.

My local feed stores offer two choices for chick feed:

Southern States (medicated or non-medicated)
or
Purina Start and Grow Medicated

(Sorry if the names aren't totally correct, this is just what the employees called the feeds)

Which one is best in your opinions?

Thanks!

 

[DawnSuiter]

you could choose based on which is closer to your home and which costs less.. that is often the top of the decision.

without an ingredients label it's hard to tell you which is better, but generally speaking chick starter is chick starter. I prefer to choose the one that has the higher protein in it.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Good advice, I like medicated for chicks and crumbles.

AL

 

[Chicken Fruit]

I have the best luck with unmedicated. but its personal preference. I dont like pumping antibioitcs into animals unless I know they need it. Some people argue that every chick needs them...

The cheapest there is... theres not much rocket science involved with chick starter- just make sure its high in protein.

yogurt is a good idea if you're doing unmedicated, once the chicks are a couple weeks old.

 

[rhondapiper]

Southern States doesn't list their feed info anywhere online that I could find, but the Purina is crumbles consisting of:

Guaranteed Analysis
Protein, not less than 18.0%
Lysine, not less than 0.88%
Methionine, not less than 0.32%
Crude Fat, not less than 3.0%
Crude Fiber, not more than 5.0%
Calcium, not less than 0.75%
Calcium, not more than 1.25%
Phosphorus 0.6%
Salt, not less than 0.35%
Salt, not more than 0.85%
Vitamin A 5,000 IU/lb
Vitamin E 14 IU/lb

Both feed shops are convenient, one is close by my house and the other one on the way home from work. Sounds like the decision isn't too important as long as they're both reputable feeds. Thanks as always for the advice.

 

[DawnSuiter]

I use medicated.
Because it's basically a tradition, if you could call it that.
Whenever I have a choice between some "new" way of thinking and an "old" way of thinking, in THIS industry... I tend to start with the OLD way first... if it aint broke.. don't fix it!

Besides there are dozens of decisions to make regarding chickens, I prefer to think of this as one I don't think about. And that's.. ONE LESS THING!

 

[rhondapiper]

I'm leaning towards medicated because we have a lot of wild birds and we feed them.

 

[mtnhomechick]

They need medicated for the first few weeks so they can build a tolerance to Cocci.

 

[digitS']

Rhonda, it may not make a heck of a lot of difference for day-old chicks but if they are a week-olds, it's probably best to leave them on whatever the feedstore is feeding them.

The gov'ment sets minimum standards for feed. Then, it seems to be up to the states to test the feed. Sometimes, you can see their reports online. You may not be surprised that the feed doesn't always measure up to what the company claims for it.

Somehow, I doubt if they pay much of a price for misleading us . . . okay, I'm being cynical here.

Nevertheless, I hope they do what's right. Chicks are tender little creatures.

Steve

 

[fasbendera]

We feed birds and I still choose unmedicated feed. I do get the recommended vaccinations for my but unmedicated feed expecially for the meat birds and all the chicks eat the same food.