Medicated or non medicated?

[kdolly87]

Congratulations on the new additions to the family. What a bunch of cuties they are.

I've been reading this thread with interest. Things have certainly changed since I last raised chicks and now that I'm looking at getting my new flock started this spring (8 Buff Orps and 4 Bantamsordered and paid for) I'm trying to catch up on what has changed. Since I'm buying from a private local breeder I plan to ask them what they do starting their chicks out right. Back in the day, cicks were put in a box under a brood light and fed starter mix until they feathered out and then they were put out in the coop and were on their own. The only time we ever lost a chick was when a young pullet managed to knock a screen over that crushed her. Not a bad record. Chickens were not fed medicated anything. They were fat and sassy. Nobody was sick or wormy when we butchered a few. My preference is to go as naturally as possible with my new flock. I would prefer for them to build up their immunity naturally over medication.

With that thought in mind at what age will they tolerate the "clup of dirt and grass" that was suggested earlier?

They really do enjoy the clumps of grass and dirt! Their favorite treat is tomatoes though

 

[lazy gardener]

Regarding the clumps of dirt: best to wait until they are dried off, and moved out of the incubator! All joking aside, the earlier, the better!

 

[kdolly87]

Regarding the clumps of dirt:  best to wait until they are dried off, and moved out of the incubator!  All joking aside, the earlier, the better!

Hahaha!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Ok, let me modify my first answer just a bit: After they've dried off and moved out of the incubator, and After they've had some chick starter, and have had a good feed on that. Then, give them the soil!

 

[JanetMarie]

My game hen hatched chicks now in the winter. (The poppa is a small bantam size black and brown chicken with feathers all the way down over his feet) She hatched six and they all have feathers on their feet but no blue-green feet like their momma. They are 4 weeks old today and have been inside. I have them on non-medicated non-gmo starter. I wasn't going to do medicated starter until I put them outside. Is there some point I should switch them over? At what point can they go outside since they are little now, will I have to wait the whole 20 weeks? I am in NE GA just had temps down to -5 our winters are cold. Never hatched chicks before or had chicks in the winter.

I let my broody moms with their chicks go outside after the chicks get their wing feathers, which is around 1 week of age. The sooner they can get outside to forage and get sunshine the better. I have never had moms and chicks in the winter though, so I suppose you will have to wait until it gets warmer. I never use medicated feed. I use avian specific probiotic in their drinking water to build the good bacteria in their gut.

 

[microchick]

Regarding the clumps of dirt: best to wait until they are dried off, and moved out of the incubator! All joking aside, the earlier, the better!

Love it. I get this picture in my head of a bunch of eggs in an incubator wearing a sod hat and one person saying to another "But I don't understand it. They all claimed the chicks would love it on BYC!"

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

my chicken really like kale I grow it in my garden when spring gets here

oh yeah, kale is totally a favorite...the ducks love it too, i throw it on their water pools and they go to town!

 

[jh7192]

Medicated feed. To feed medicated feed effectively, one must have sick birds and a definitive diagnosis. Then you or more likely your veterinarian can prescribe the appropriate medicated feed. FDA is moving in the direction of requiring all antibiotics be prescribed by a vet.:/ N Not all drugs are compatible with feed . For instance, heat labile drugs will be inactivated,especially if your feed is pelleted. In general, administering drugs in water is far more effective. Again, you must have a definitive diagnosis so as to administer the correct drug.
Second, do you plan to eat the birds or eggs they produce. If so, you must be sure the drug is cleared from the meat or eggs within the time frame you have in mind. This point is critical should you sell or donate the eggs or meat. Should anyone suffer an adverse reaction to drug residue in meat or eggs you have produced, you will probably face an enormous lawsuit.
Third, the poultry industry is moving away from growth-promoting antibiotics (medicated feed), organic meat and eggs are gaining in popularity (two companies now produce organic meat) and lastly, why incur un-necessary expenses?
Josh Hatkin.

 

[jh7192]

Wait until the chicks are fully feathered before letting them out side. That should be about now. Not much forage available at this time of year.
You must live in far NE GA. WE never had it that cold in Athens

 

[kdolly87]

Wait until the chicks are fully feathered before letting them out side. That should be about now. Not much forage available at this time of year.
You must live in far NE GA. WE never had it that cold in Athens

We're in dalton ga and it's been a little warm these last few days so they've had some supervised outside time since most of them are still pretty small and easy prey for hawks and such. Today we're supposed to have some freezing rain and snow though :-/