Things that are good to feed chickens

[KFC the rooster]

I need to know what is good to feed my chickens and also when to start with my new chicks.

 

[QueenMisha]

Depends on age and breed.

For laying breeds/common breeds/ornamentals or bantams: Start with a medicated starter, 18-22% protein, from 0-8 weeks of age. Move them to a non-medicated grower, 18-20% protein, from 8-16 weeks of age. When they reach 16-18+ weeks, they can be put on a layer. If the flock is mixed hens and cocks, keep them on the grower, but supplement with oyster shell. At about 10 weeks of age you can start feeding scraps and scratch. Scraps and scratch collectively should not exceed more than 20% of the diet, and scratch alone should not be more than 10%.

For meat birds (Cornish Cross): Medicated chick or turkey start, 20-28% protein, for the first week; non medicated turkey or broiler grower (20-22% protein) from then until slaughter. (For dual purpose fowls, follow the regiment for layers but keep them on a grower of some sort until slaughter instead of putting them on a layer; for slow growing/colored broilers, follow the regiment for Cornish Cross, but feed medicated starter for 3-4 weeks instead of one.)

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "when to start with the new chicks." Can you elaborate?

 

[vicki017]

Depends on age and breed.

For laying breeds/common breeds/ornamentals or bantams: Start with a medicated starter, 18-22% protein, from 0-8 weeks of age. Move them to a non-medicated grower, 18-20% protein, from 8-16 weeks of age. When they reach 16-18+ weeks, they can be put on a layer. If the flock is mixed hens and cocks, keep them on the grower, but supplement with oyster shell. At about 10 weeks of age you can start feeding scraps and scratch. Scraps and scratch collectively should not exceed more than 20% of the diet, and scratch alone should not be more than 10%.

For meat birds (Cornish Cross): Medicated chick or turkey start, 20-28% protein, for the first week; non medicated turkey or broiler grower (20-22% protein) from then until slaughter. (For dual purpose fowls, follow the regiment for layers but keep them on a grower of some sort until slaughter instead of putting them on a layer; for slow growing/colored broilers, follow the regiment for Cornish Cross, but feed medicated starter for 3-4 weeks instead of one.)

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "when to start with the new chicks." Can you elaborate?

Depends on age and breed.

For laying breeds/common breeds/ornamentals or bantams: Start with a medicated starter, 18-22% protein, from 0-8 weeks of age. Move them to a non-medicated grower, 18-20% protein, from 8-16 weeks of age. When they reach 16-18+ weeks, they can be put on a layer. If the flock is mixed hens and cocks, keep them on the grower, but supplement with oyster shell. At about 10 weeks of age you can start feeding scraps and scratch. Scraps and scratch collectively should not exceed more than 20% of the diet, and scratch alone should not be more than 10%.

For meat birds (Cornish Cross): Medicated chick or turkey start, 20-28% protein, for the first week; non medicated turkey or broiler grower (20-22% protein) from then until slaughter. (For dual purpose fowls, follow the regiment for layers but keep them on a grower of some sort until slaughter instead of putting them on a layer; for slow growing/colored broilers, follow the regiment for Cornish Cross, but feed medicated starter for 3-4 weeks instead of one.)

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "when to start with the new chicks." Can you elaborate?

Is this recommended? My chicks are 10 weeks old and I still have them on medicated starter 18% and was planning to start layer when it's either 16-18 weeks or when they start laying eggs

 

[QueenMisha]

Is this recommended? My chicks are 10 weeks old and I still have them on medicated starter 18% and was planning to start layer when it's either 16-18 weeks or when they start laying eggs

Some brands recommend keeping them on medicated until point of lay, but there are studies suggesting that Amprolium leaves notable amounts of residue in egg yolks for several weeks after ceasing feeding it, so you would be risking having Amprolium in the bird's pullet eggs if you fed it that long. There's not necessarily any indication that Amprolium is bad for humans, but I for one certainly wouldn't want to be unnecessarily consuming it, just in case.