Will it hurt my young chick's to feed them 22% meatbird feed.

[Fatherdowling]

I feed my ducks meatbird food, but for right now I feed my young chick's a chick starter mixed with a little bit of meatbird. Can I switch them over entirely to meatbird in a week or two?

 

[Fishkeeper]

How old are they?

Young chicks NEED to be on chick starter, or they'll get nutritional deficiencies. Also, if it's medicated, you should NOT mix anything with it or they won't get enough of the medicated stuff.

 

[Fatherdowling]

How old are they?

Young chicks NEED to be on chick starter, or they'll get nutritional deficiencies. Also, if it's medicated, you should NOT mix anything with it or they won't get enough of the medicated stuff.

The chick's I'm feeding the mixed food to are going on 4 weeks old. They appeared to be doing well, very active, strong appetites, plenty of water, they are even starting to sleep on the roosting bar I made them.

 

[GC-Raptor]

If you're feeding a Medicated Starter, I would continue with that till at least 8 weeks.
If you're feeding a Non-medicated Starter, then I would transition to the meat bird feed over a week or two.
Myself, I feed all ages of chickens a 18 to 20% Protein. GC

 

[Fatherdowling]

I am currently giving my chick's starter food to treat coccidiosis, since I have introduced them to dirt, so they can take dust baths. I mix that food with meatbird food that is 22% protein.

 

[Fishkeeper]

If you are giving them food with any sort of medication in it, they need to eat ONLY that food, or the medication may not be at high enough levels in their body. You may not see effects in the chickens, but if the pathogens are present in their body, you'll be increasing the resistance of the pathogens to the medication. You could potentially create a medication-resistant coccidiosis, and you won't know if that's happening, because it may not affect the chickens until it's too late. Or it may not affect them at all, but might end up being transported elsewhere to infect other chickens.
Stop doing that. Either feed them ONLY the starter food, WITHOUT mixing anything else in, or feed them a non-medicated food.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

The chick's I'm feeding the mixed food to are going on 4 weeks old. They appeared to be doing well, very active, strong appetites, plenty of water, they are even starting to sleep on the roosting bar I made them.

I wouldn’t change anything then.I kept on mine on chicks starter on until they started laying and then I switched them over to layer feed.

 

[Fatherdowling]

If you are giving them food with any sort of medication in it, they need to eat ONLY that food, or the medication may not be at high enough levels in their body. You may not see effects in the chickens, but if the pathogens are present in their body, you'll be increasing the resistance of the pathogens to the medication. You could potentially create a medication-resistant coccidiosis, and you won't know if that's happening, because it may not affect the chickens until it's too late. Or it may not affect them at all, but might end up being transported elsewhere to infect other chickens.
Stop doing that. Either feed them ONLY the starter food, WITHOUT mixing anything else in, or feed them a non-medicated food.

I understand your worry, but I'm not treating for pathogens, I'm treating for Cocidia. I researched and most experts say, mixing won't hurt your bird, it won't make the Cocidia parasite immune to amprolium, it will simply weaken the dosage which "could" make it less effective. It is only a temporary step, as I only have one small bag of medicated the rest is un-medicated.

 

[Fishkeeper]

A pathogen is any organism which causes disease within a host. A parasite is a potentially disease-causing organism, therefore it is a pathogen.
Why are you mixing the feed in the first place? Are you trying to make them grow faster?

 

[Fatherdowling]

A pathogen is any organism which causes disease within a host. A parasite is a potentially disease-causing organism, therefore it is a pathogen.
Why are you mixing the feed in the first place? Are you trying to make them grow faster?

The reason I am mixing the feed is I have chickens and ducks, but rather than buy a 40 lb bag of chicken starter I mix chicken starter with the meatbird feed I bought for my ducks. When buying small bags of chicken starter I accidently bought one medicated. Plus I read higher protein feed for chicks will make their feathers shinier and fuller as they come in.