Medicated or not??

[Rooster76]

If you've got medicated then I would use it. I have used both with no problem. Tractor Supply only seems to want to sell the medicated stuff. You for sure don't want hens eating the medicated stuff, or the chicks eating layer feed that has too much calcium.

I would say that you should put down some paper towels over your bedding for the first week. My first batch ended up eating a crap load of their pine chip bedding (it was really fine choped that didn't help the matter) and 3 of 26 died because of it. The first 4 days are the most important. If you can get them past that it seems like they are good to go.

 

[cubalaya]

Thanks everyone.

I know that I'm over-thinking this, but I've been waiting a decade to do this and I SOOO want it to go well.

Another question. Since I'm getting them from a swap meet - I expect that they will be a variety of ages. What would be the widest spread of ages that you would keep together? I'm PLANNING for chicks 1-2 weeks old. But it IS a swap and I may end up with some a good bit older than others. Right now I only have the one brooder. I guess that if I end up with babies that have to be kept seperated, I could staple some wire down the middle of the box (it's about 3' x 5') and add a second light - one at each end, with the middle becoming the 'cool zone'. ?

after 4 weeks you don't need to brood anymore because night time temps are getting higher. i will have some 6 week old australorp pullets if you are interested.

 

[canesisters]

I'm hoping to be able to find chicks near the same age - it just depends on what folks bring to the swap. I'm not quite ready for older birds yet (the coop needs some work) but if that is what most folks have at the swap then I'm going to have to move that run up to the top of the 'to do' list!
See you at gilmanor? Australorps are lovely birds but I don't know much about them - yet.

 

[Eggcessive]

Swap meets are fun but the chickens that are there can be healthy, sick, deformed (cross beaks or leg problems), they many times are roosters that people want to dispose of to unknowing newbies, or they may just be culls of a picky breeder. You never know, so you might want to look on here in the chicks for sale section or buy from a local chicken person in your area. I would use medicated food for the first 5-6 weeks they are in a brooder, then Flock Raiser when they are on dirt in the coop and run because it may prevent cocci and it won't harm them. Mine are fat as can be on it.

 

[canesisters]

Well, that's part of the reason that I'm so excited to be able to go to this swap. There will be several BYC'ers there.
I had decided that I'd rather build my flock from local breeders who were close enough for me to pick up a couple of chicks and not have to have them shipped. When I heard in the 'virginia' thread that there was a swap just an hour from me, and that several Va breeders were planning to be there, I nearly laid an egg myself.

 

[robynz]

I was torn about medicated vs. not-medicated too - so I bought a 5lb bag of each - we're still in week one and they are getting the medicated, but I'm going to start mixing the feed next week

 

[canesisters]

They're here! They're HERE!

I ended up with 8 chicks! A couple of easter-eggers, a couple of silver laced wynadottes, a couple of speckled sussex and 2 marans - a wheaten and a black copper.
Here we go into the world of 'chicken mama'. Wish me luck.

 

[DuckyLou]

They are very cute!! Congrats! As to the medicated feed discussion... I raised my first batch of 8 chicks on non medicated and everyone survived, ended up having 2 roos in the bunch so I got 2 pullets 2 weeks ago to replace the roos and I have had them on non- medicated as well and they are doing very and are very healthy! I just try to keep the brooder as clean as possible and change their water everyday.

 

[DuckyLou]

OH and I also had a plain 100 watt bulb and square corners in my brooder..... somehow they survived and are just fine!

 

[canesisters]

LOL - yeah - I never got around to 'rounding' out the corners of the brooder - and they're not crushing anyone... The bulb is a plain old 100 watt and so far they don't appear to be too mentaly damaged. They're eating the heck out of the feed..... at least I think they are... I fill the 1qt feeder every day. Is that good??

They all have wing feathers and are starting to get tail feathers... any guess on age??? I was so excited at the swap that I barely managed to remember the breeds....