Feeding chicks - chick starter vs turkey starter

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:54 am

Hi everyone,

Last season when I started raising bantam chicks I had several people (and sources) suggest using turkey starter to help them develop well as it was higher in protein than chick starter.

This year I started out with chick starter again, but have just been feeding a bag of turkey and meat chicken starter (that's what it is now called), however have just read another article saying that feeding normal chickens high-protein turkey starter can be harmful to them.

I guess chick starter has been developed specifically for chicks, and turkey starter for turkeys, so maybe I should go back to chick starter.

Does anyone have longer term experience with feeding turkey starter to chicks and have you had any problems?

Thanks.

Deb :-D

County Lodge · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:37 pm

HI Deb,

The turkey starter does not have the cocci meds in it and you will need to give then something like sulphaquin in the water as a preventative. Too much protien all the time may lead to obese chicks :shock:

probably not good for leg developement. I give turkey starter as a boost me up occasionally.

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:46 pm

Hi Rosemarie. I thought this starter would have had cocci meds in it as it says it is for "turkeys and meat chickens". :shock:

I'll rush home and check that this afternoon as I assumed they were getting the protection they needed.

I was worried about them putting weight on too quickly, it's just that all my chooks (well, most of the adults) seem so bony and the pekins quite small so I thought maybe this would help boost them. But as my husband said the other day, you don't really want them being larger artificially - you want the genetics doing that - so it might be best if I just go back to chick starter anyway, with mashed boiled egg etc for extra protein a couple of times a week.

I might hang on to the turkey starter and do the occasional "boost" thing also. It looks so much nicer than the chick starter, and I was surprised that it is actually finer in consistency than the chick stuff too. It used to be a lot bigger.

Thanks Rosemarie - I'll go home and compare all the ingredients tonight and probably go out and buy a new bag of chick starter tomorrow.

Deb :-D

b&p · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:08 pm

Deb,

A lot of Americans seem to use turkey starter for their Polish chicks.

I also started on turkey starter this season and so far development has been really good.

A trusted friend did suggest however that if give them a 50/50 mix especially as I am raising several breeds at once.

Been doing this the past few weeks and so far no problems. I have also done this with the grower mix.

Cheers

greenaus · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:36 pm

debbieo4914 wrote:

Does anyone have longer term experience with feeding turkey starter to chicks and have you had any problems?

No problem at all. Mine get turkey starter from day one. Here's a RIR that hatched last week.

Ok...maybe not.

Seriously though...

The turkey starter I use is medicated. PA said that the medication in TS is suitable for chicks.

I do give TS to all my chickens and the turkey poults from day one.

Those ones that I hatched from the eggs from Ian (RIR, RIR/Commercial Xs, other crosses) back in April were fed turkey starter, chick starter, pullet grower, broiler finisher and whatever else I could find for them.

I did NOT notice any obesity. I did NOT notice any enormous size birds.

BUT... I never hatched similar chicks and fed them, so I wouldn't know the difference anyway.

I feel the boys particularly were pretty big at about 14 weeks...but honestly don't feel that any was enormous at 20-25 weeks when eaten.

Again...I don't know for sure how big they should have been.

A number of pullets died from about 14-18 weeks. No boys.

I am absolutely certain that the girls that I still have are either normal or small. Definitely not big girls.

The TS I use is Riverina. It is called Turkey Starter and Broiler Starter is a different feed.

Riverina TS is 28% Crude Protein. Turkey Grower is about 22% I think.

Broiler Finisher was about 20-22% I think. Broiler Starter was only about 22% I think.

I have some Turkey Grower here and I think my four week old poults need it as they are certainly growing.

greenaus · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:49 pm

Having thought about all this as I wrote, read and edited...

I do not recommend turkey starter unless it is the same price or cheaper than chick starter.

I will switch back to chick starter ASAP.

Thanks for making me think.

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:48 pm

Okay I've had a look at the bag of feed. It is Barastock Turkey & Meat Chicken Starter and is suitable for birds being bred as table birds, replacement pullets or ornamental birds.

It is medicated with a coccidiostat, and contains 22% crude protein.

It is suggested for a wide variety of birds, however this is followed with a disclaimer that it shouldn't be used for birds other than described, and definitely not for egg-producing hens (specifically mentions those producing fertile eggs). Withholding period for eggs (for eating) is 14 days. Obviously this isn't an issue with young chicks, but I wonder why they say not to use it in hens producing fertile eggs?

The only thing that doesn't really suit me is that it contains protein from animal sources - not sure if chick starter contains this but I'll find out.

I think I will mix what I have now half and half with chick starter.

Or I could just buy a couple of turkey poults to gobble it up instead!!!

Thanks for the input everybody! :-D

Deb

Lou · **Joined:** Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:12 am **Posts:** 387

I have always used turkey starter because I've had guineas keets with the chicks, the 1 I use is medicated. Deb is the article you read the 1 is Australasian Poultry? I only read it yesterday & want to read it again "It starts with the gut"

"Chicks should be offered a starter with around 20-22% protein. Turkey starter is not recommended as the protien content is to high and potentially deleterious to the chick. Starter crumbs are preferable over both mash & pellets." "deleterious" means harmful I had to look it up

It's a very interesting article, but now more confussion :-?

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:14 am

Yes that was the article, Lou - however as they say chicks should be offered a starter with 20-22% protein this particular brand of turkey starter would be fine! :-D

greenaus · **Posted:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:14 pm

debbieo4914 wrote:

however as they say chicks should be offered a starter with 20-22% protein this particular brand of turkey starter would be fine! :-D

Sounds correct to me.

I've just gone downstairs and checked. The Riverina is 28%. Copper is 20mg.

The Riverina Turkey Grower is 22% but copper is 130mg.

I haven't opened it yet, but the turkey grower feels like little granules. It might be suitable as a replacement for chick starter at an early age.

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