Chick Starter

quadhens · **Joined:** Fri Jan 21, 2011 8:35 am **Posts:** 4

Hi I am looking at buying a good chick starter in prep of my chicks hatching but not sure which one.

CA’ Chick Starter

INGREDIENTS
‘CA’ Chick Starter is formulated from a selection of the following ingredients:
Wheat, triticale, barley, sorghum, oats, peas, lupins, beans, soyabean, canola, sunflower and by-products derived from these ingredients. Meat & bone meal, fish meal, blood meal, fat, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, antioxidant, enzymes, dicalcium phosphate, limestone, bentonite salt and lasalocid sodium.
Vitamins: A, D3, E, K, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), pyridoxine (B6), B12, niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, biotin and choline.
Minerals: Calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, cobalt, copper, iron, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc.

OR

RIVERINA CHICK STARTER CRUMBLES

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS
PROTEIN % : 20.00
CALCIUM % : 1.0 -1.5
AV PHOS % MIN: 0.450
FAT % : 2 -3.4
C FIBRE % MAX: 4.50
ENERGY A-ME MJ/kg : 11.70
LYSINE % : 1.00
METHIONINE % : 0.50
SALT % MIN: 0.15-0.40%
VIT A iu/kg : 8000
VIT D3 iu/kg : 1600
VIT E mg/kg : 20
VIT K mg/kg : 2
VIT B1 mg/kg : 2
VIT B2 mg/kg : 6.4
NIACIN mg/kg : 40
VIT B5 mg/kg : 10
VIT B6 mg/kg : 6.4
VIT B12 mg/kg : 0.016
FOLIC mg/kg : 2.0
BIOTIN mg/kg : 0.17
COBALT mg/kg : 0.20
COPPER mg/kg : 7.00
FERROUS mg/kg : 50.00
IODINE mg/kg : 0.70
MANGANESE mg/kg : 75.0
MOLYBDENUM mg/kg : 0.50
SELENIUM mg/kg : 0.25
ZINC mg/kg : 60.0

Which do you think is the one I should use?

Ian Clayton · **Posted:** Sat Jan 22, 2011 2:16 pm

Hi

I would go with Riverina Chick Starter, Riverina products are good quality and the quality is consistent.
There are cheaper brands available, but it's like they say "you pay peanuts, you get monkeys".
We sell several brands of chick starter but I reccommend Riverina because of the consistent quality.
Regards
Ian

Faye · **Joined:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 5:46 pm **Posts:** 1

Is it true that chick starter no longer has medication in it? I aksed at the farm store and was told its no longer available

quadhens · **Joined:** Fri Jan 21, 2011 8:35 am **Posts:** 4

Thanks Ian I did go with Riverina in the end

Rhode Red · **Posted:** Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:31 am

Hi Quadhens,

I have a preference for a "mash" over "crumbles". I believe the chicks seem to do better and cope better (they eat more) later on when they introduced to a "scratch" mixed grain. Kewpie at Kingaroy have a specailised range of poultry feeds. Unfortunately not always easy to get as they have selected retailers in SE Qld. Once the chicks get to 6-8 weeks look to change their feed to a "Pullet or Grower" ration. Basically the protein content is reduced. They should stay on this until 20-24 weeks or point of lay.

Rhode Red

quadhens · **Joined:** Fri Jan 21, 2011 8:35 am **Posts:** 4

Thank you for that Rhode Red I will see is Riverina make a mash or not?

andre · **Joined:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:21 pm **Posts:** 612

Faye wrote:

Is it true that chick starter no longer has medication in it? I aksed at the farm store and was told its no longer available

Most brands of chicken starter have the coccidiostat in it.

Its turkey starter that no longer has the blackhead medication in it, although it still has the coccidiostat.

As far as vitamins are concerned, I suspect that they all use the same source of pre-mixed vitamin suppliment to add to their grain and soy/meatmeal mix.

WyandotteStud · **Joined:** Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:30 pm **Posts:** 1

I raise all my chicks on turkey starter then turkey grower, yes you read right and I can tell you all my chicks are superior to anyone’s Wyandotte’s by using turkey starter. The chicks are bigger and stronger than any others I have seen. My Wyandotte’s are sort after because of the bone size and overall health so my recommendation to you in forget chick starter use turkey starter.

chookchronicle · **Joined:** Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:49 am **Posts:** 1

Wouldn't turkey starter be to high in protien for chickens? or is that a good thing?

Rhode Red · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:46 pm

Hi,
I know of a few people who did use Turkey starter for their chickens (Rhode Islands, Australops, and Leghorns), however have now stopped. The extra protein promoted the chickens to grow too quick, the extra weight of the birds helped to roll the toes and some had knee issues. Think meat chickens. The combs on the cockerels and pullets developed, many of the leghorn ckls combs folded over (thums marks). The pullets developed too quickly, laying in approx 5 months. This may sound a good thing, but for show birds not a good thing. The birds did not grow a big as the other pullets / ckls who were not feed the turkey starter as long.

Sometimes feeding your birds can be a trial and error process, until you find a ration or feeding plan that suits your birds and the purpose you have them for. Having birds for laying is a completely different concept to showing, and depends on the breeds.

Rhode Red

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