Please tell me about your experiences with Purina Starter/Grower

[Noobchick]

I've had problems with my flock on and off the last 20 weeks and Im wondering if it has to do with their feed.

My flock's issues include:
- vitamin defeciency at around 5-6 weeks. They were lethargic, drooped one wing and some even had one leg collapse under them when they tried to stand or walk. They recovered after I gave them some Poly-Vi-Sol (with no iron).
- protein defeciency 2 weeks ago, at aout 16-17 weeks. One hen was feather picking and her and a couple others were eating their own feathers. I added yogurt and egg yolk and gave them a homemade flockblock to help keep them enterained just in case they were picking out of boredom. Turns out it was a protein defeciency after all.

I have more problems cropping up now but havemt figured out what their cause is yet.

Current problems here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7521185#p7521185

I'd love to hear what things youve experienced with Purina.

 

[Duramaxgirl]

I've used the purina foods. I don't very offten now because I buy from a mill. I always give my chicks vitamins and electrolytes dayly till they are 5-6 weeks old. I've never had problems with Purina, although I don't necessarily think its a great food.
But on the pecking: how many birds do you have and in what size coop/run?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I've been using it for years. Never had a problem with it and will continue to use it in the future.

But there are a number of things that could have gone wrong from improperly mixed feed to a spoiled bag.

The tape they sew the bottom of the bags with has the feed mix date on it. How old is the feed? If it's more than two months old I'd dispose of it and try a fresher bag.

Alternatively it could be spoiled. Run your hands through it and look at the color and texture? Does it have a fresh smell or does it smell musty? Is it clumpy or in any way discolored? It should be quite dry, even in texture and color, and not smell bad or musty.

From looking at your photos in the other thread are you sure this is not coccidiosis?

 

[Noobchick]

8 birds in an 88 square foot coop. No run yet, though it is under construction now.

And yes, I'm starting to think Purinas not a very good food too.

(ugh. Lots of spelling erros when using my ipad. Sorry)

 

[LarryPQ]

I prefer purina to almost everything else out there. Have you checked for mites and lice? At those ages an infestation of mites can cause the deficiencies, lathargy, and stunting of growth.

 

[Noobchick]

A.T. - great idea about looking at the tag. I'll do that. I've gone through at least 3-4 50 lbs bags of food over the last 20 weeks so I dont know what the chances of them all being improperly mixed are. Maybe some are mixed well and those are the times I dont have problems??

I dont think its spoiled. Smells like grain, fresh. Not discolored or clumpy.

This issue has been going on for about a week. (thats when the first chicken started with the weird poops.) She had about a day where she was droopy but she recovered quickly with no help from me. She never went off her feed either.

The chicken that is sick now has been sick for 3 days. She started with a little blood, then more blood, then just clear jelly looking stuff which Im assuming at this point was intestinal lining. I coaxed her into eating last night and this AM had pooped very watery green poop with a tiny bit of dark brown poop. I do know thanks to her vet visit and xrays that she has an impacted gizzard.

If it was coccidiosis, wouldnt she already be dead? Would that affect the gizzard? Or maybe throw off her digestive system so she eats too much grit or (stupidly) eats bedding??? Im just at a loss.

 

[Noobchick]

Quote:
Ive checked during the day and checked at night last night. Didnt find anything but maybe Im not looking in the right spot?? Checked around their vents and necks. Wanted to do under their wings but they hated that. I checked about 4 of my 8 birds figuring if it was on one itd be on them all and if those were clean that they all were clean.

Should i dust them and their coop anyway?? Would that hurt them?

 

[guineaman]

i have never had any problems with purina. i also use their cattle feed with no problems.

 

[Ksane]

Mine didn't like the Purina Starter/Grower, wouldn't eat it very well at all and got 'yucky' stools on it. I gave the rest of it to the donkey and sheep and got them a bag of their usual.

 

[Noobchick]

Quote:
What's their usual feed? My birds have always had very dark brown cecal poops; weird enough looking to make two vets go "Wow! That looks weird.". The first checked for worms when it first happened (about 12 weeks ago) and found nothing. Declared they were fine.