We are first time backyard chicken raisers and are thinking about getting some 17-20 week hens. They were fed medicated feed. They are coming from a large breeder with about 9 thousand birds. I'm just wondering if this is a good idea or should we just wait until spring and raise our own chicks. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I don't know what you are paying for these hens but if it's a good deal you might want to go for it. You don't have to continue to feed them medicated food. After a time it will metabolize out of their systems. At that age they should be getting layer feed anyway.
Are you sure they are only 17-20 weeks old? It just seems odd to me that a large breeder would be getting rid of hens just as they are ready to start laying. There are many instances of BYC members who were hood-winked into believing what the seller said ("these are hens" "these are 6 months old") and then finding out otherwise. I'd say buyer beware.
Quote:they have 9,000 birds. I think they know what they are doing. Agree with ibeier, go for it, at that age, it's time to switch feed anyways, 'medicated feed' is the chick/grower feed. It gets out of their system within a couple weeks. Mine are 12 weeks old, still on medicated feed until I run out, which will be just about the right time they switch to layer feed.
Thanks for the warning. Do the majority of backyard chicken owners have their chicks vaccinated? This is from the ad we found $8.00 for 17-18 weeks $9.00 for 19-20 weeks $10.00 for 21-22 weeks Americana, White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, New Hampshire Red, White Rock, Light Brahma standard size with feather feet, Silver Laced Wyandotte. They are in Plymouth ID, but are doing weekly deliveries to my neck of the woods for the month of November. It seemed like a good deal to us because then we didn't have to worry about raising the chicks, but I worry about having 3 random chickens put together. We are looking to get a Light Brahma, Buff Orpington, and a Barred Rock - the mellow personality types. I wonder in a flock that big that have been free ranging, if there is a lot of pecking going on. I'm just a worry wort who wants perfect, happy, healthy, hens, who can produce perfect, happy, healthy eggs. (and I'm starting to have second thoughts on the whole thing even though the coop construction is nearing completion, ahhhhhh) .
Yes that would be alot faster way of getting eggs....Sound like you are getting them from a producer who raise birds to be sold as pullet, not someone unloading old layers. Most of those type of producer do debeak them , so they don't peck each other. Myself I would get the younger ones, start them on a layer. Then the medicated feed will be no worry with the eggs.
The medication in chick starter is Amprolium, which helps to control coccidiosis. It is not an anti-biotic, so there is no egg withdrawal or problems with eating the eggs even if they are still on the medicated feed. They do need to be changed over to layer or grower at their age though. Make sure they have grit and oyster shell for the calcium they need to make all those perfect eggs. It sounds like a good deal you are getting, I say go for it! There shoudn't be any pecking problems, other than the normal pecking order stuff. Coming from that large of a flock, the three chickens you are buying probably have never met, so they will be 'new' all the way around. If they have plenty of room, food, water & attention they won't have any reason to pick on each other. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
