Question on Medicated Chick Start

[iwiw60]

I'm feeding my little girls Purina Medicated Chick Start. Okay, so today I'm viewing a bunch of chicken videos on YouTube and I caught one fellow saying that you should never feed medicated feed to your "hens" ...

Question: When my girls are around 12-14 weeks old should I switch them over to regular feed, non-medicated???

Help, please!!

 

[subhanalah]

If you don't have any roosters, you can start them on the layer formula around 18 weeks. I plan on switching to all flock or flock raiser when my bag of chicken starter runs out. That way whether I have roosters, ducks, or geese, all the birds can eat the same thing and I won't have to worry about it.

 

[iwiw60]

Thanks for the info...appreciate it!

 

[realsis]

I wouldn't start on layer until they are close to point of lay.if you start them too young the calcium can hurt their organs. I go from chick feed to grower than to layer. Layer has a lower protien content then grower as well. I wait until 6 months to start layer. But my birds don't lay until 6 months old or later. I raise silkies and they lay from around 6 mo. On. So from about three to six mo. I use grower with the higher protien. As for medicated , I use it myself I don't find a thing wrong with it. The extra calcium of the layer can hurt young ones if given too young. Hope this Helps

 

[iwiw60]

Quote: Gosh, I didn't know that...thanks for the info! I think I'll follow your lead and go from chick feed to grower then to layer...thanks!!

 

[winteree]

well what i read is that when you medicated your birds and laying hens you need to wait 30 days for the medication to completely cycle out of their system before you can use the eggs or meat so there is no chance what so ever that you don't get sick

 

[iwiw60]

well what i read is that when you medicated your birds and laying hens you need to wait 30 days for the medication to completely cycle out of their system before you can use the eggs or meat so there is no chance what so ever that you don't get sick

Yes, I've read that, too...thus the reason for switching to grower feed first after chick start, then layer feed.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Switch to Purina non medicated starter/grower after about 8 weeks if you don't want the medication. You can start pullets on layer by 18 weeks.

 

[iwiw60]

Switch to Purina non medicated starter/grower after about 8 weeks if you don't want the medication. You can start pullets on layer by 18 weeks.

Thanks, Cindy...okay, so I should keep them on the Purina Medicated Chick Start til 8 weeks old, then put them on layer feed after that, skipping the grower feed??? Newbie..confused...what can I say!!

 

[Cindy in PA]

Thanks, Cindy...okay, so I should keep them on the Purina Medicated Chick Start til 8 weeks old, then put them on layer feed after that, skipping the grower feed??? Newbie..confused...what can I say!!

Purina is a Starter \Grower & comes in Medicated & Non
medicated. There are other brands of starter or grower also. Just switch to a non medicated starter or grower after 8 weeks or so. Don't use layer until 18 weeks or older.