Medicated Feed and Ducklings.

[casportpony]

I keep seeing lots of posts that say "no medicated feed for ducklings", but no references to back that up.

This is what Purina says:

Hi Kathy –

The issue here is not so much one of safety as it is one of regulations. Amprolium, the medication present in our medicated chick starter, has never been approved by the FDA for use in waterfowl. Therefore, we cannot legally recommend its use for these birds. However, veterinarians have been using it very successfully off-label for years as a coccidiostat for all kinds of birds, including waterfowl.

The fear of medication for waterfowl dates back to the early days of medicated feed, when sulfa drugs were used. Waterfowl typically eat more than chickens do, so when they ate feed medicated at a concentration that was ideal for chickens, they tended to over-imbibe the medication, which was often fatal. Amprolium is not a sulfa drug and does not have that effect.

Start & Grow is formulated to meet the growth needs of baby chicks until they reach 18 weeks of age. We recommend Start & Grow for chicks and Flock Raiser for waterfowl or mixed flocks. If you feel your waterfowl need medication, consult with your vet to determine what would be best for them.


And this is from Metzer Farms:

Quote:

 

[Sfraker]

Here is what I have heard:

• Ducklings eat quite a bit more than chicks do, therefore when eating feed with medication levels for chicks they overdose.

• Some parts of your research back this up.
  
  • As Dr. McDougal said“Not one of these papers describedany harmful effects to waterfowl except where the normal dosage was significantly overdosed.”

• Vets are trained using nutrition information that is provided to the vet schools by Purina. Unless they chose to do studies of their own and break away from the Purina training it's tough to know if they are well rounded nutritionists or simply a vet with the knowledge from the Purina training.

• Lastly I've heard what your reseach states about Coccidiosis
  
  • "Coccidiosis is an internal protozoa parasitethat can harm chickens, turkeys, game birds and occasionally waterfowl."

• If if only occasionally harms waterfowl why would we give them medicine they don't need?

Again, I'm only telling you what I have heard and the reasons why to continue the discussion. I love reading studies and would prefer to back up my knowledge with science and fact when I can.

 

[casportpony]

Here is what I have heard:

• Ducklings eat quite a bit more than chicks do, therefore when eating feed with medication levels for chicks they overdose.

• Some parts of your research back this up.
  
  • As Dr. McDougal said“Not one of these papers described any harmful effects to waterfowl except where the normal dosage was significantly overdosed.”

• Vets are trained using nutrition information that is provided to the vet schools by Purina. Unless they chose to do studies of their own and break away from the Purina training it's tough to know if they are well rounded nutritionists or simply a vet with the knowledge from the Purina training.

• Lastly I've heard what your reseach states about Coccidiosis
  
  • "Coccidiosis is an internal protozoa parasitethat can harm chickens, turkeys, game birds and occasionally waterfowl."

• If if only occasionally harms waterfowl why would we give them medicine they don't need?

Again, I'm only telling you what I have heard and the reasons why to continue the discussion. I love reading studies and would prefer to back up my knowledge with science and fact when I can.

You bring up good points. So let's ask ourselves a few of questions...

• How much do ducklings actually eat, as in percentage of their body weight per day?
• What constitutes a significant overdose?
• Has and one ever heard of a necropsy report that listed one of the above mentioned drugs as the cause of death?

I agree, since coocidiosis is not common in waterfowl, why give it?

I feed medicated turkey starter because it has the correct amount of niacin, so that makes my life simpler, and the store I shop at does not stock non-medicated chick or turkey starter.

Think about it, if these drugs were toxic the feed mfg's would have a big warning label saying "toxic to waterfowl".

 

[casportpony]

This is what's in Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. It says basically the same thing as above.

Source: https://books.google.com/books?id=s...guide to raising ducks medicated feed&f=false


Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, 2nd Edition

 

[chickens really]

This is what's in Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. It says basically the same thing as above. [COLOR=333333]Source: https://books.google.com/books?id=s...guide to raising ducks medicated feed&f=false[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, 2nd Edition[/COLOR]

How OLD is the Book..?.......Extremely old...

 

[casportpony]

This is what's in Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. It says basically the same thing as above. [COLOR=333333]Source: https://books.google.com/books?id=s...guide to raising ducks medicated feed&f=false[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, 2nd Edition[/COLOR]

How OLD is the Book..?.......Extremely old...

I don't think it's that old. Here's the issue I have, you, and many others, keep perpetuating the myth that medicated starters are bad for waterfowl, yet not one of you can say what medications are bad, or why they are bad, nor can anyone find a properly published study that asks up your claim. People need to stop spreading misinformation.

 

[chickens really]

The real publication came out in the 70s I believe...Duck care has drastically changed since then...No revised version that I know of in recent years...?...

Cheers!

 

[casportpony]

The real publication came out in the 70s I believe...Duck care has drastically changed since then...No revised version that I know of in recent years...?...

Cheers!

I think that was revised in 2001.

 

[TeeMom]

The real publication came out in the 70s I believe...Duck care has drastically changed since then...No revised version that I know of in recent years...?...

Cheers!

There has actually been a revised version of this book...I have it and it states the same as casportpony linked above. It was revised by Dave Holderread in 2001 and again in 2011, the latter being the version I have.

 

[casportpony]

Quote:

Thank you!