What antibiotic free foods do you feed your meat chickens?

[Dayna Robertson]

I raise chickens. I raise a lot of chickens. lol

I sell pullets for egg laying and end up with a lot of barred rock and RIR roosters, plus lots of mixed breed roosters.

I eat those. Currently they free range so they get scratch and layer feed. Probably not the best for growing meat?

I raise broilers in a chicken tractor and feed them 22% meat bird feed from nutrena, which is the ONLY antibiotic free food I can get. I pay $24/40# of that feed.

So I'm looking for a different/cheaper type of feed for my meat chickens and ideas on how to grow my egg layer roosters a bit bigger by the crowing mark. lol

 

[ktn65]

I raise broilers in a chicken tractor and feed Purina Flock Raiser. It is 20% min protein.

 

[Dayna Robertson]

I have some of that (its what I start them on) but the bag says medicated. Does it come in a non medicated version? I'll have to contact our feed store and see if they carry it.

I don't have access to most of the feeds that folks on the mainland have access to. I've considered trying to buy in bulk and have it shipped over on the barge on a pallet.

 

[ktn65]

The starter I used for my layers was medicated. But the "medication" is not antibiotic. It is medicine to help the chicks deal with coccidiosis. There are two different types of medicine commonly used. Purina uses amprolium.

That being said, I'm not even sure if the Flock Raiser in the green bag is offered in a medicated version.

Here is the link to the site of the flock raiser I use for my CX meaties: http://poultry.purinamills.com/OURPRODUCTS/Products/FlockRaiser/default.aspx

 

[Dayna Robertson]

I've not seen the green bag at all, just the red bag.

I'll ask again.

And you're right, I know the med for cocci is not an antibiotic but I lump it in there as all the feeds I can find but one have treatment for that. And frankly, I don't need my meat birds treated for 8 weeks....

 

[Arielle]

The starter I used for my layers was medicated. But the "medication" is not antibiotic. It is medicine to help the chicks deal with coccidiosis. There are two different types of medicine commonly used. Purina uses amprolium.

That being said, I'm not even sure if the Flock Raiser in the green bag is offered in a medicated version.

Here is the link to the site of the flock raiser I use for my CX meaties: http://poultry.purinamills.com/OURPRODUCTS/Products/FlockRaiser/default.aspx

I'm sorry to say that that if it contains amprolium, that is an antibiotic. Meaning it should not be fed to egg layers if you want to eat the eggs. And the meat birds should not have access either during the last several weeks. THe residue carries over.

OP-- finding the right feeds is an age old issue. Historically we used what was readily available in our back yards so to speak. Doing a little investigating and a little trial and error will get you to a suitable answer. Much will depend on the inherent growth rate of these cckls that you have. I have some fast growers that need 27% for 8 weeks and others which grow much slower and that feed would be a waste = 20% a more economical choice.

You might pen them with that feed for a few weeks and compare the starting weight with the wt at 2 weeks; and compare to the same number of cckl that do more free ranging. See if that makes a reasonalbe difference.

You might consider getting a higher % if they free range to be their protein source if they dont eat a full serving as a penned bird would.

Good luck with your project.

 

[ktn65]

I'm sorry to say that that if it contains amprolium, that is an antibiotic.

It looks like this has been argued to death here and else where.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Sorry. Antibiotic use is a worthy discussion.

THe more we can reduce the use of them thru other effective means the healthier we will all be in the future. I keep corid on hand in case I should have an outbreak needing such stuff; and work toward not needing it at all.

I recently read a book -- only 15 minutes to skim the book so have forgotten the title and the author; about the unintended consquences of anitbiotic use in our country and other practices that decrease the normal fauna and flaura of our intestines which effect our health, either toward good health or toward death . . . . a complicted subject.

 

[Dayna Robertson]

I'm all for using medicated feed in the beginning for two weeks or so as cocci IS a problem in Hawaii and I use medication on ALL my livestock as needed. I use all the wormers and antibiotics, etc on my goats, chickens, whatever. I'd rather use them and have healthy animals than slightly sick animals that limp along till butcher date.

That being said my feed options are quite limited here. I do have access to 50# bags of barley, oats, corn, etc. Still quite expensive though.

 

[JessicaThistle]

I use the Nutrena Meatbird food for my Cornish X as well. It is wonderful feed and my chickens were healthy and in great shape when I processed them. I raised them in a chicken tractor on pasture and free ranged daily.

I used the Nutrena Chick Starter that was medicated mixed with the meatbird food for the week before and week of that they moved from brooder to pasture just to give them a boost. They were healthy and did great!

I have read many discussion on the Amprolium that is in the medicated food. I can't find a definite that it is an antibiotic. No doctor or pharmacist every weighs in on these arguments as to the definite, but the scientific claim that is that it is not an antibiotic but it boost the immune system against Cocci. Sheesh think of what vitamin c boosts the immune system against. Antibiotics don't boost immune systems. They kill bacteria. Boosting the immune system to fight in it's natural form is not what antibiotics do.

I only use the medicated chick starter for about two weeks, meaning the week prior to hitting the ground and the week of hitting the ground to give them that boost. Otherwise, the Nutrena meatbird food is fabulous. Also since I read you are in Hawaii. Throw them fruit if you have fruit trees or access to them. OMG they can devour a pile of apples or plums. It would be interesting to see how they could devour hawaiin fruit!