Medicated chick feed or organic?

[The Coastal Chicks]

Great Thread...Thanks all! I have 5 EE that I really wanted to be organic. Everyone told me that there was not organic starter and that I needed the medicated for the chicks til they layed eggs. I researched the food but did not discover BYC til a month or two ago to really get good answers to these questions.
My 3 girls..and now 2 Roo's... are free range all day and go in at night. They are on the medicated starter and I really want to start transitioning over to an organic feed.
I do not have many feed stores/organic pet shops for this type of product here.. what online sites do you all recommend for the organic feed and what do I want to look for in the contents?

 

[kchopper]

We fed our 18 chicks organic feed from day one. No medications . All are alive and healthy. They are approx. 8 weeks old now. This is also the first time I have raised chickens, maybe I am lucky? Good Luck on whatever you choose.

 

[Kittymomma]

I don't use medicated feed either. I have a mixed age/species flock that free ranges so they're all on gambird feed with oyster shell on the side for the girls that are laying. I do keep corid on hand though so that I have the ability to treat quickly if needed.

 

[Dorte]

Thank you for the thread. I wanted to avoid the medicated food, but was too "chicken" to start with the organic food since I have no experience with chicks. The people in the feed store made me feel like a crazy hippie for even considering it. Not sure exactly why I cared, I am plenty crunchy in other areas of my life... My next batch will be organic for sure

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

Quote:
Thank you, Tigerjane for starting this thread, and everyone else who responded. I also have questions about medicated vs organic feed. My chicks are 9 weeks old and have been on medicated feed (Purina) since they were a few days old. For at least the past 4 weeks they have spent every day in a sectioned off corner of my regular chicken run. I want to stop the medicated feed ASAP and think that since they should have been exposed to everything by now, it's safe to switch to unmedicated. I've been afraid. From what I've read on this thread, it seems like it would be ok to switch to unmedicated. Do I have this right? Thank you to everyone on this site for sharing your experiences!

 

[Tigerjane]

It's great how many responses this is getting! I've decided on organic, and letting them have a little outdoor time in a chicken tractor under my supervision beginning at a few days old (if this rain from the hurricane ever stops!!!). My hubs is getting more excited about the chickens as he learns all he can feed them - one of his greatest joys is making little sample platters for our dog

We'll provide them with grit once we begin treats.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I'm glad also that you started this thread. My chicks are still on medicated feed and they are 13 weeks old, because I didn't know any better and was going by what was locally available. I would like to switch mine over, but I have a very large amount of feed left at present...
From what I have been told, eggs cannot be considered organic if your chicks have ever been on medicated feed.

 

[empireranch]

I am new to chickens too. Have 4 one week olds and just added 3 day olds yesterday. I have fed the Countryside Naturals organic feed from day one (paid a fortune for shipping to California!) and have nutri drench in the water - everyone is eating and drinking well (not one pasty butt yet.....) Did meet someone at the feed store yesterday who got chicks last week from the same batch I did - two of them had already died. I guess time will tell. BTW, the feed store did promote the medicated feed...

 

[Tigerjane]

Wow, I guess I'm really lucky that the places near me with chicken supplies (one a feeds store, Callahan's, and one a locally owned pet supply store, Buck Moore) both sell organic chicken feed, all three stages (starter, developer, laying). I don't know if it would be such an easy decision if I had to mail order it - I imagine the shipping must be outrageous from the bags being so heavy!

 

[tracyrene]

My neighbor and I both have 3 week old chicks from the same hatch. I have 3 that have been eating the medicated chick feed and the one he had, which was being raised by the Momma, was fed organic. Last night he brought me his chick because the Momma had left it for hours on the bottom of the coop (late at night) and it was down in the upper 50s last night. Anyway, the size difference is CRAZY! Mine are HUGE compared to this new one. Also, mine are much more feathered. I have a 5 day old and a 2 day old in a separate brooder and I had to put her in with them. I have decided while they are in 2 separate brooders that I will feed the 3 large ones medicated chick feed and my 3 little ones will have organic. I will have them in brooders about 4-5 more weeks.