Medicated Chick feed

[crazyforfeatheredfriends]

I'm sure this has been answered before, but I can't find it

How old is a safe age to stop feeding the medicated starter feed? We are almost out and need to buy more feed, my youngest are 7 weeks old and oldest are 11 weeks old. Please give me your opinions, thank you!!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Not before they have spent a month or so on the ground. . If you still have them in a brooder keep them on it. After the first egg is a good time to change too.

 

[G Wiz Ranch]

I never use medicated feed, I am not into organic, I just don't think it is necessary. I use an "All Natural" chick starter that is the 20% protien. When they are 3-5 days old, I put a little bit of sugar in their water, when they hit 5 weeks old, a little bit of ACV (they get mixed with the rest of the flock at 6 weeks (if they havn't sold by then). They spend the first 3 weeks in a coverd horse trough, and then 3 weeks in a brooder that is on the ground. I have not had any problems with this and I hatch chicks every 21 days (I never turn off the bator and I use a hatcher).

 

[deerman]

8 week. but true after been on the ground for a few weeks.........all mine are off by 12 weeks.

 

[crazyforfeatheredfriends]

Great, thank you for the advice, I won't worry about buying medicated anymore. They have been out of the house for about 3 weeks in their coop, so sounds like all is good.

Thanks again!

 

[pkeeler]

Medicated feed allows for more chicks per sq. ft. or less cleaning of the brooder. A coop with 4 sf/bird is not an environment where you should need medicated feed. So, once you move the birds to their bigger home, you can transition off medicated feed. This is a good time to move to pellets too, as other feed forms waste more (thus cost more). I like to use turkey finisher (16% protein) at this age, but you can go with a 50/50 mix of turkey grower and oats. Sometimes, there is a non-medicated pellet (without the word layer on it which means added calcium) for chickens at the feed store, sometimes not.

 

[speckledhen]

Medicated feed only helps them stay ahead of being overwhelmed by the oocycsts in the soil. It does not mean you should be lax on sanitation and it does not mean your chicks won't get cocci, either. Depends on your soil. I always used medicated starter. From the second year I began hatching, all groups of brooder-raised chicks developed coccidiosis after hitting the soil. Broody-raised chicks rarely ever get it because they are on the ground from about 3-5 days old with their mamas.

Medicated feed is no guarantee, trust me. Good sanitation is no guarantee, either.

 

[chickenlittle32]

Cyn, is there any other way to get rid of coccidiosis without using meds...I can't seem to find sulmet or corid anywhere at the moment...and I have a few chicks that are starting to show signs of cocci....

 

[davidb]

I know this isn't going to set well with allot of folks, But if you don't want to use medicated chick starter. Laying mash will work just as good and its allot cheaper, Im not saying it is as good but, lots of people in my area raise all there chicks out with it, I don't use it all the time but I will say Ive used it allot and have had just as much success with laying mash as I have with chick starter, And I like sulmet better than corid, I order mine from jeffers online

 

[speckledhen]

Laying mash won't do anything for cocci. And it will give way too much calcium for young chicks, though I realize many dont buy age-specific feeds. IMO, it's causes issues giving them adult feed, which is too low in protein for babies, usually.

Many old time farmers used to give their chicks raw milk. Raw goats milk is great for adding to their crumbles. Also, some put non-fat dry milk into the crumble at a 50/50 ratio. That said, what it will do is the stronger ones will live through the cocci and the others will die. If you don't want them dying on you, you need amprolium or Sulmet.