Is Purina flock raiser all right to feed to chicken hatchlings?

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

Got a couple of chicken hatchlings and I wanted to know if Purina flock raiser was safe for them, is out of stock at my local feed store so it's just going to be for a week or two

 

[BlueBaby]

My feed store has also said that they were having problem's with the supply chain and was out of chick feed, so I ordered some off of Amazon and it arrived here yesterday.

 

[RubelliteRose]

Yes. We only feed Flock Raiser starting on day one. We do offer oyster shell on the side for older birds

 

[aart]

Got a couple of chicken hatchlings and I wanted to know if Purina flock raiser was safe for them, is out of stock at my local feed store so it's just going to be for a week or two

Yes, it's fine, all I've ever fed from hatch to harvest.
Might want to run it thru the blender for the first week or two so the pieces are smaller.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Got a couple of chicken hatchlings and I wanted to know if Purina flock raiser was safe for them, is out of stock at my local feed store so it's just going to be for a week or two

YES. Definitively, yes. Its even better for your hatchlings than their starter/grower - I can explain why nutritionally, but am at an absolute loss as to why Purina chooses to formulate that way.

For the typical backyard owner, of the typical backyard flock, with typical backyard management practices - I recommend an all flock/flock raiser type feed for all of your birds, all of their lives, without regard to gender, start of lay, or molting. Free choice oyster shell and appropriate grit available as well, of course.

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

YES. Definitively, yes. Its even better for your hatchlings than their starter/grower - I can explain why nutritionally, but am at an absolute loss as to why Purina chooses to formulate that way.

For the typical backyard owner, of the typical backyard flock, with typical backyard management practices - I recommend an all flock/flock raiser type feed for all of your birds, all of their lives, without regard to gender, start of lay, or molting. Free choice oyster shell and appropriate grit available as well, of course.

Wow! Thanks so much!! Now that I know this I always have some on hand meaning I won't have to keep buying chick feed! Thank all of you!

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

Purina flock starter is the only feed I have feed my chickens from chicks to adults so yes!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Wow! Thanks so much!! Now that I know this I always have some on hand meaning I won't have to keep buying chick feed! Thank all of you!

that's what BYC is for. Happy to join with the chorus of others offering assist.

 

[K0k0shka]

As others have said, yes. With Purina, both the chick starter and the flock raiser are 20% protein, so they can be interchangeable (that's not the case with other brands though).

But.

There's a "but", and it's big enough for me to not feed flock raiser to chicks - at least not for the first few weeks. The only problem with it is that it doesn't have a medicated version. I don't want to deal with coccidiosis, and I don't like inviting preventable diseases, so I always start my chicks on medicated chick starter for the first few weeks. When they finish the bag, I put them on flock raiser with the rest of the flock. If the chicks are being raised with the flock and there's no way to control who eats what, I feed the whole flock medicated chick starter until they finish the bag, and then switch everybody to flock raiser. The adults can eat chick starter (medicated or not) just fine, and the amprolium in the medicated feed won't hurt them in any way. And I always have crushed eggshell on the side for anybody who needs calcium.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

As others have said, yes. With Purina, both the chick starter and the flock raiser are 20% protein, so they can be interchangeable (that's not the case with other brands though).

But.

There's a "but", and it's big enough for me to not feed flock raiser to chicks - at least not for the first few weeks. The only problem with it is that it doesn't have a medicated version. I don't want to deal with coccidiosis, and I don't like inviting preventable diseases, so I always start my chicks on medicated chick starter for the first few weeks. When they finish the bag, I put them on flock raiser with the rest of the flock. If the chicks are being raised with the flock and there's no way to control who eats what, I feed the whole flock medicated chick starter until they finish the bag, and then switch everybody to flock raiser. The adults can eat chick starter (medicated or not) just fine, and the amprolium in the medicated feed won't hurt them in any way. And I always have crushed eggshell on the side for anybody who needs calcium.

^^^ why there is no "one size fits all" solution. A good reminder for all of us. Purina does, btw, make a medicated Flock Raiser - but I've never seen it on the shelf.