Question about Purina Premium food...

[tripletfeb]

Hey all. I have 5 15 week old pullets. I raised them on Rural King's brand of medicated chick starter/grower, Country Roads. I had no issues with that food. But I bought Purina Premium medicated chick starter/grower because I heard it was better. Both foods were crumbles. I did mix the two foods together so it wasn't an abrupt switch on my girls. But I'm noticing that the Purina food is really crumbly. Almost like it is a powder. The mill date is just a few weeks ago so the food shouldn't be bad. Anyone else notice their Purina food is almost like a powder or did I just get a bad bag? This makes me want to switch them back over to Rural King's brand. I did look at the nutrients and they were comparable to each other.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Each mill will use different crumbler equipment after the pellets are formed so that could be the issue. At 15 weeks, your birds could easily be on pellets and that would eliminate most of the problem. Also, IMO, there is no reason for 15 week old birds to still be on a medicated feed.

 

[tripletfeb]

I thought they should be on a medicated feed until they started laying because they were not vaccinated? And I was thinking of putting them on pellets but was worried they would be too big for them to eat.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I almost never use medicated feed. It really isn't necessary with proper management.
Small dose exposure to coccidia, bedding bone dry and feeders kept at least half full.
If the birds have been on pasture or other ground contact, they've already been exposed to the coccidia species in your area to be resistant.
If a 15 week old chicken can swallow a mouse, I don't think they have any problem with pellets.

 

[tripletfeb]

Thanks. Ill switch them over to unmedicated pellets when this bag is gone. Should I stick with Purina or is Rural King's brand good too?

 

[Folly's place]

Not so! Feed with amprolium added (is that what you have?) is meant for chicks to help manage the coccidia that they will encounter outdoors, so is usually fed for ten or twelve weeks, and then changed to an unmedicated feed.
I feed my flock Purina Flock Raiser, which is fresh at my local feed stores, and works well for me.
If your chicks were vaccinated against Marek's disease, which is a good idea, amprolium has nothing to do with it.
Mary

 

[tripletfeb]

I don't think they were vaccinated for anything. I bought them from Rural King as day old chicks. They were feeding them their brand of medicated food, that's why I stuck with it. Feeding them medicated food for a few more weeks won't hurt them, right? I want to finish this bag before I switch.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yeah, I missed that. There are lots of different vaccines for various pathogens. There is now a vaccine for coccidiosis but hasn't become widely used yet.

Medicated feed is only for coccidia, nothing else.

 

[Folly's place]

It's fine. Plan to mix the new diet with what you have for a few days, or a week, so there's not a sudden change. And always check the mill date on each bag!
Mary

 

[tripletfeb]

It's fine. Plan to mix the new diet with what you have for a few days, or a week, so there's not a sudden change. And always check the mill date on each bag!
Mary

Will do, thanks!