Is 1 bag of medicated chick starter enough?

[1newchickontheblock]

I am just about through our 25# bag of medicated chick starter (6 standards, 3 silkies - ~ 4 wks old) Can I give them the regular(ie non-medicated) feed now? Was the medicated for the first month good enough to protect them when they most needed it...?
Thanks for your help!

 

[chickenlittle32]

I'd give it to them until they start to lay....

 

[jennh]

I am on my 4th "brood". The 1st three got medicated chick feed until about 16-18 weeks, then I switched to layer. Follow the directions on the bag. Some vendors are different.
I just got 4 more chicks which are 5 wks old. I did not give these ones medicated. I free range my "girls", and I don't put chemicals or fertilizers on my lawn. I want to be able to say their eggs are truly organic.

BTW, you aren't supposed to use their eggs for about 2 weeks after they start laying if you used medicated food.

Jen

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I would for sure give it to them a little longer. I gave mine medicated up to 14 weeks then put them on non medicated until they started laying and then put them on layer.

 

[Mahonri]

I've only fed mine medicated for weeks 1-6.

After that, just regular Flock Raiser.

 

[1newchickontheblock]

Quote:
Yes, I was torn re using the medicated in the first place. They are still in a brooder(tho just moved them to a bigger one) I am anti-chemical/pesticide/herbicide myself, but for my first time with chickies, I didn't want them to suffer with illness for any mistake I might make... hence the medicated feed.

Any further feedback would be greatly appreciated, and I will make my decision after taking it all under advisement.

Thanks so much for your input, everyone!!

 

[1newchickontheblock]

Quote:
Jen,
Even if you only used it for the first month or 2 of their lives...??

rose

ETA - oops, just saw the post just previous to yours...

 

[Akane]

3-6weeks of age is when the medicated feed helps the most. However I don't use medicated feed. I use gamebird from day 1 on since I can't get nonmedicated chick starter here. If by regular feed you just mean move to a feed the isn't medicated then you never absolutely needed one in the first place. It's a precaution best taken with your first set of chicks and some areas have more trouble with cocci illness than others. If you mean move them to layer then definitely not. They should not have layer until they are close to laying, most set 16weeks as the earliest, or the excess calcium can damage internal organs. They can eat chick starter (medicated or not), flock raiser, grower, or game bird feed that isn't too high of protein (personally I'd stay under 25%) until they are old enough for layer. They can continue to eat any of those but medicated starter even after they are laying but if you are feeding anything except layer to adults they need oyster shell to supplement the missing calcium.

 

[speckledhen]

There is no withdrawal time in order to eat the eggs if they begin laying while on medicated starter, not any at all. That is only for antibiotics and wormers. The meds are usually only Amprolium, a thiamine blocker. Some may have trace amounts of bacitracin or other ingredient to combat cocci and intestinal woes, but they are in such tiny amounts, if at all, that there is no withdrawal time. Honestly, you have nothing to worry about in that regard.

In my area, you can usually get only medicated starter. Purina has their Home Grown brand that is non-medicated, but it's way to expensive and too dusty/fine to feed to older birds anyway, so mine stay on medicated starter until they go into the main flock as teenagers.

 

[mamawolf544]

It is said if you get your chicks vaccinated from the hatchery medicated feed cancels it out. I know on McMurrays website it says that.
But I dont give my birds medicated either. They free range and I think chickens are a pretty hardy group to start with.
But I feed everybody the same stuff, because I have turkey's and quail they all get gamebird crumbles, including the chicks and I have never had a problem with it.