Switching feed for my 7 week olds what is best from TSC

[GhostRider65]

I have been giving my chickens Nutrena, naturewise, but due to a huge price jump and 10Lbs less feed per bag I need to switch feed for them.
What is the best feed between purina sun fresh, which I don't see any unmediated feed for at TSC, or Dumor feed 18% and or dumor grower game bird food 24% protein, this is all I can find listed online, and need to buy from TSC this week because I'm super broke and have to use my Credit card....arggggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrr
What would you guys do ? also do they need a feed down schedule like my horses when I switch feed?

 

[chicmom]

I use Dumor products. I use the chick starter/grower until they are 17 weeks of age. Works very well for me.

Oh, I know how you feel.....there is never enough money.....

 

[jham86]

Im using Dumor as well, only feed I have bought so far, although second time around they were out of 50 lb bags of chick starter so had to get gamebird starter

 

[Kitt]

I'm going to have to look at different feed myself. I went to get a bag and it went up to almost $20.00 a bag.

Feed for my goats and llama isn't that much.

 

[GhostRider65]

Quote:
Well my hubby calls me at 8 am when the store opens they only have medicated chick starter and Purina at that or 1 bag of Dumor game bird 24% protein ........arggghhhh so that is what I had him get I mixed it 50/50 with what I had left of my Naturewise, and I'm now hoping I didn't just kill me chicks....................how can a store be completely out of chicken feed their pushed brand even almost 5 days before the new stock comes in, very disappointed with this dilemma.
JHam have you ever fed this game bird feed before? I know it has no pro bios in it because I would be able to smell the yeasty smell, but is it going to hurt my chicks? Kim

 

[BeccaOH]

I was using Purina Flockraiser on all my chicks, ducklings, and goslings from hatch to fully grown. They all did well on it. But I've found a mix at my locally owned and operated drive-thru feed store that I really like. It is called "pullet grower" and is not medicated. It is milled here in my area. It is cheaper than anything I used to buy at TSC or Agland. Can you find a local feed co-op with options for you?

 

[suzeqf]

i use dumor also and when my chicks get older i'm switching to a flock feed that my local feed store makes themselves i just wish they made a chick formula

 

[TexGardenGirl]

It looks to me like your most urgent question now is "will the Dumor gambird starter hurt my chicks?" and the answer is no. I've nearly always used Dumor and on my first batch of chicks used their regular chick starter (which is non-medicated). The second batch we also had guineas, and so I used the gamebird starter for the extra protein (btw, this is apparently not really necessary for keets but from everything I read seemed slightly better than regular chick feed). The Dumor products have a chart on the back of the bag explaining what to feed to whom at what age, which I've always followed with no apparent problems so far. The main difference of the gamebird starter is higher protein content which is not necessary but also not harmful to chicken chicks. All Dumor feeds are non-medicated.

I'll let others debate the bigger question of "what feed is best".

One other thing - I try (with any animal) to transition to a new food over several days if I can, but a couple times have run out and had to get something different and never had any apparent problems switching them "cold turkey". I think it's more of a mammal issue (horses and dogs have sensitive tummies, and cats are finicky and if they go off their feed more than 2-3 days can actually have liver failure).

 

[Denab]

Dumor is what i use for my birds....

 

[Theapplechicks]

We use the Dumor also. Tried the Purina Layer once and they really didn't seem to like it so I switched back. Dumor is cheaper anyway!