Medicated Chick Starter

[kelly52862]

I am raising 4 keets with my chicks (so hopefully they don't fly the coop). I had just got a bag of medicated chick starter (accidently), but was told it would kill the keets. I switched to non medicated, but have 50 lbs of medicated sitting around. Does anyone know if medicated will kill a keet?

 

[PeepsCA]

Chick starter (if medicated with Amprolium) will not kill your keets, (Amprolium helps builds immunity to Coccidiosis), but it will slow their growth due to the lack of protein content in the chick starter. Keets need to be fed a higher protein Turkey, Game Bird or Pheasant starter, around 28% is best for them (if you can get it). Your chicks can eat the higher protein starter feed as well, they will pass the extra protein without any issues.

 

[birdbrain5]

i have fed plenty of medicated chick starter to chicks, keets and poults. never a problem here..

 

[MuranoFarms]

Quote:
Me too. I feed gamebird starter, but if we run out I use the chick starter. If you're worried about protein levels you could also give them scrambled eggs, mealworms etc.

 

[kelly52862]

Thanks! I will head to the feed store today to see if they have one of the others!

 

[racuda]

Quote:
Me too. I fed the first group of keets gamebird starter (also medicated). The next batch of keets were hatched along with chicks and so I fed both chick starter. Those keets grew up just fine and I couldn't tell the difference in them and the ones that got the "correct" feed.

 

[PeepsCA]

Professional Hatcheries and Guinea Fowl breeders ALL tell their keet customers to feed the keets a high protein starter feed, I have yet to see one that recommends feeding them chick starter. Guineas are Game Birds, not domestic chickens. Keets grow a lot faster than chicks and they need the extra protein and levels of amino acids that a high protein Turkey, Game Bird or Pheasant starter provides. Most chick starters are around 18%-20% protein (some contain even less), and the protein level keets need is around 28%, so that's a pretty substantial protein deficiency you are forcing on your keets.

Wild Guineas in Africa eat more protein in the wild than what a chick starter provides, so why would you raise your keets on anything less? Just to save a buck? Just so you don't have to carry an extra bag of feed or 2? Just doesn't make sense to me.

Feeding chick starter to keets is like feeding puppy food to kittens, or feeding kids nothing but twinkies and soda pop... yes they can survive on it, but it's the incorrect food and doesn't contain the correct nutrients they need.

If want healthy birds that live to their full potential and produce their own healthy offspring for you later on, you should feed them nutritionally correct feeds from the start. As with any animal.

 

[racuda]

I should mention that all of my keets were raised by chickens, free ranged, so I didn't "force" a deficiency on them. They eat lots of bugs.

Penning Guineas is cruel and unnatural since they are Game Birds.

 

[horseychick2]

I give my keets chick starter, but also give treats that make up for the protein. And of course they get grit to break down the treats.

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote:
9 out of 10 people raise their young keets in a brooder and grow-out pen situation... (the age of Guineas we were originally discussed feeding the starter feed to) in order to protect them from being picked off by predators 1 by one. Not everyone has the setup to let their day old keets run loose, and most that do end up losing a lot of them. Some have a conscience about losing birds to predators, some don't