Impossible to get unmedicated GBS here. :/

[Bettacreek]

So, I'm stuck buying either 24% or medicated. I really feel that my birds lost out with the lower protein, but I really don't want to give medicated.

If you had the choice of either 24% unmedicated or 30% medicated, which would you choose?

 

[aprophet]

a lot of the studies and reports I have read kina have the range of 24-30% I started mine first 3-4 days on chicken starter just because it was small enough for them to eat I switched to purinia gbs and just ground it up some I think the gbs helps ,mine were almost feathered all the way out at 3 weeks just a little naked under their wings the 24% will probably just grow them a bit slower

 

[Bettacreek]

I've raised them on 24% before, and this latest batch was raised on 20%, but, I was just so excited to find 30% starter.

24% is literally the highest protein that I can find unmedicated, and I have to drive over an hour away to get it. If I stay in my area, 20% is the highest. I guess I'm going back to 24%. At least I'm happy with the layer (20% with calcium).

 

[DLS]

They grow like WEEDS on the neutrina brand wild game starter. I feed that all the time I had quality problems with purina . lack of concistancy differant sizes crumbles even smelld diffrerant from bag to bag ... WEEVELS in the bags ect.

 

[Olive Hill]

Check with the mills in your area; you can have feed milled to your specification and get the best of both (unmedicated and 30%).

 

[quailbrain]

I think you feed it to your buttons too? I know that the Chinese blue breasted quail (buttons) can not properly digest the amount of medication in the medicated feed. Sure they only get what they eat but they eat 8-10 times their own body weight daily and the meds add up. It is proving to show that the Chinese quail go fertile from kidney issues with the medicated feed and are not able to breed as long as others who had non medicated feed.

I personally would go for nonmedicated and supplement it with higher protein.

 

[Prettiest Frog]

Quote:
Weee! Bonus protein!

 

[Bettacreek]

Quote:
Weee! Bonus protein!

Lol. That's what I was thinking!

I'm really thinking hard on this. I've checked feed mills and everything and the 24% is the best that I can get, unmedicated. I haven't tried to see if I can get a custom mix, but I'm trying to do so on a budget and cannot store massive amounts of feeds (unfortunately, I'd love to buy bulk!) I have button quail, coturnix quail, meat chickens and will soon be getting meat ducks and turkeys. I'd love to feed all of my growers the same feed, and my layers all the same feed. If I end up with laying chickens, I'll probably swing for another type of feed (because it's several bucks cheaper). But, I'd like to get a good feed that I can RAISE all of my birds on. I could probably feed my button chicks the same thing as the adults (I raised them on the same protein level), but I still have all of the other types of birds to think about. Ducks cannot have medicated feeds, period, and the quail would have to be pulled off of it pretty early, since the butcher age is so low. I suppose I'll just call the feed mill and see what they say.

 

[Bettacreek]

I'm glad that I called. Thank you to whomever told me to call (I'm being too lazy to scroll). They now have a 27% protein crumble available for $12.75/50lbs. The 24% that's an hour away is $14.99/50lbs. This is a much better deal! They had turkey finisher, but she didn't get the protein content, and I assume a finisher will have around 25 or less. I would have loved to buy their broiler feed, since it's local, but it only had 22% and it was a mash, which equals a lot of waste for me.