So I want to grow a few of my own meat birds (primarily because I feed one of my dogs organic chicken and it cost waaaayyyy to much) and I called the feedstore asking them if they had unmedicated fed chicks. They said no, and told me that is was near impossible, they all die when fed un-medicated feed. SO my question is, how true is this? I was planning on starting them on wire (that way they won't have much access to their feces) and then hoping to free range them...eventually until butcher time.
NOT true! I feed all my new born babies UN medicated feed & they are all alive, happy & healthy babies. This IS only my second yr though but so far so good. And people can't believe how good our eggs are! (0:
I've raised over 2000 of them in the past 3 years and have not fed any medicated feed, so definetly not true.
Every certified Organic chicken for sale at every farm gate, health food shop or grocery was raised without medication! So sure you can! We raise all ours on unmedicated organic feed following the Canadian organic guidelines, and all organic feed would be unmedicated whatever side of the border you're on. What we DO is this: 1.sanitize the pen you use for brooding. (hydrogen peroxide is what we use) 2.put a 1" layer of well composted manure (ie so composeted that it is mostly soil) on the floor of the brooder. 3. follow this by a 4" layer of fresh shavings. 4. brood as usual 5. mix the first 3 days feed with 50% sand, from the ground outside somewhere. We do this so that the guts of the chicks are colonized with beneficial bacteria. It is also supposed to give them coccidia resistance. I read a really old article based on a study done in the 40's on raising chicks on deep litter once, stating that chicks have better gains when exposed to beneficials in the deep litter. I think this does the same. We have never lost a young chick. I also think it is important to use a feed blended for use in an organic system which has the mineral blends and probiotics included to support a high functioning immune system. We use Homestead Organics. If you can't get an organic feed where you are, you could order in the mineral premix by mail, and blend it with straight grain (corn, pea, soy, wheat ect) making sure you aim for the right protein percentage in the grains. Good Luck!!
If that were true then how are there any chickens in existance? Chickens have been around a whole lot longer than medicated feed has been available for people to buy. I use the wire thing in my brooder and happy with it, but have softer plastic layer on top of the harware wire to make it easier on the feet. But that way I don't have to worry about them getting dirty or eating poop or basically the same reasons that you posted.
Like others have said, we don't ever use medicated feed with our chicks. We don't do anything special, just make certain we provide them with clean bedding on a regular basis, fresh water every day and good pasture when they are around 3wks.
Thanks guys I normally sanitize my brooder with chlorox and water...I've got one of those chick n hutch type brooders. I was also thinking of using modesto milling organic but not sure if I will go with the no soy formula.
I feed mine unmedicated from day 1. Put them out on the dirt at 10-14 days and NEVER loose chicks. If I get one that looks ruffled and cocci like I give ACV in the water for a day or two then vitamins in the water and yogurt in the feed they bounce right back. With CX I have yet to have any signs of cocci.
