Questions about food

[KentuckyChick]

Looks like I have three selections locally. Manna Pro Chick Start Medicated, DuMor, which appears to be unmedicated, and Purina Start and Grow Sun Fresh Recipe Medicated. What's your advice on this and why?

Also, while pondering these selections, I was approached by an older couple trying to get rid of a bunch of roos. The wife was really trying to sell them, haha. I wish I could have a roo, but I'm just not going to test my neighbors,

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

We prefer to use the Purina feed as we have had the best luck with healthy vigorous chicks while on it. It has been our experience with Dumor feeds that the poo smells much worse and seems to attract more flies. Manna Pro is also a good feed but of the 3, Purina is the best quality for us.

 

[KentuckyChick]

What do you do as far as medicated vs. unmedicated? I know some people do unmedicated, some medicate until they're of laying age, etc. I'm torn!

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I chose to use unmedicated feed for our girls. Figure if they are not sick why give a medication.

 

[KentuckyChick]

That's kind of my theory, but the ONLY unmedicated feed I've been able to find is DuMor. And I wasn't too keen on buying it.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I used the Dumor until last week when we went to Purina Flock Raiser. My oldest hens just began to lay but have 16 that are not laying yet. With the FR I put out oyster shell/crushed eggshells to supply the calcium. They began to lay on the 14th...today I got 4 eggs from the 6 sex links; the yolks are a good color and the shells are very strong.

 

[mkearsley]

What about protein? Our store has 16% protein feed & 20% protein feed. My birds are free-range & can eat all the bugs & grass/weeds they wish, but I also supplement them. Does the protein make much difference? The purina our store sells is only 16%, I've been buying the 20% protein, though. Do I need to supply them with grits, too? And when do they need oyster shells? I've got a mix of laying & not-old-enough to lay birds. Thanks in advance

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I put a tuna can on the wall of the coop with oyster shell in it as soon as I had an egg. I also put crushed eggshells in it. The layers help themselves to it when they need it.

Also have a tuna can on the wall of the coop with grit; they eat what they need. The coop/run has sand on the floor and the girls eat the sand at times.

The Purina Flock Raiser I'm feeding now is 20% protein. I make sure they get plenty of BOSS because all of them have been going through a moult...noticed today that there were quite a few black tail feathers from the SLW...don't know if it is a moult or pecking by the Sex Links or BO. I also give them yogurt at the least once a week.

They love all the yard waste that I bring into the run for them. One thing I have found that they all go crazy for...shelled black-eyed peas.

 

[Akane]

All I can get here is are local brands but I've heard frequent complains from others about dumor feeds. For your first chicks it's a good idea to use the medicated. It's not what most people think when they see medicated. Most don't contain antibiotics or have any impact on the chicks immune system. It contains amprolium with blocks thiamine so the cocci organisms can't multiply as fast giving the chicks time to build immunity. While it may still be good not to use it if you don't need to cocci can kill fast if you don't know the symptoms. It's good to see what healthy chicks act like and get some experience before you try to feed them without medicated feed. You also don't know if there might be something increasing the concentration of cocci. Some people irregardless of care and cleanliness on their part can't raise chicks on their property without a medicated feed. After a few batches of chicks I switched to game bird feed at 22% protein since I can't get unmedicated starter here. I feed that to all ages of chickens with oyster shell out for the hens and they seem to do better on it.

Overall I'd say the more protein the better but it's not always cost effective. They will lay fine on 16% but they might have slightly better feather quality and faster growth on higher protein feeds. Depends what your goals are.