When to take chicks off medicated feed?

[Folly's place]

Medicated chick feed should be fed for eight or ten weeks, after the birds have been on your ground for several weeks. Then, gradually change them to an all flock or grower type feed, 18% to 20% protein, and add oyster shell in a separate dish when they are laying eggs.
Some of us are fortunate to not need the medicated starter, because we don't (at least haven't yet) had an overwhelming amount of coccidia in our bird's environment, so haven't had dead and dying chicks with coccidiosis. I've (so far) been one of these lucky flock owners, and it's fine. A friend a mile up the road has different soil and has had deaths from coccidiosis and gape worm.
It's safer to feed medicated, and that's what I did originally, until I had several years of healthy broody raised chicks not fed medicated.
Saving sick chicks isn't better!
Mary

 

[ChickNanny13]

I used to feed as the bag states, by age. Not anymore ... It's be a few years now, I start off with the smallest bag of Med Chick Starter, depending on how many I'm raising at the time, I use it up in about a month or two. I also ferment so it stretches out some.

I then feed Flock Raiser (fermented), when they show signs of laying I put the extra dish of Oyster Shells in their Chicken House. I also keep a separate dish of grit available for them. I haven't had any issues with laying nor egg shells, in fact I find the shells alot more "sturdy" than the store bought ones.

Another thing I've learned (thank you BYC members) treats are really not necessary. I used to feed mine healthy treats; veggies, fruits, table scrapes, mealworms, BOSS ... Noticed they weren't as "round" (Orpingtons) asked, and told cut back on the treats as it tends to neutralize the nutrition from their feed. I stopped treats, they only got a measured amount of MW & BOSS at close up. They put on weight and look so much better. Once in a great while will I toss in some green leafy veggies ... It's more my guilt treat cause I keep them confined for their safety.