Medicated or non medicated

Hello again all. Thank you to everyone who gave me such great advice on my last thread "feathered chics". I know have another question. Can someone please tell me what the benefit of medicated vs non medicated is. I have heard not to use the medicated feed but i have read that it is very beneficial for new chics. I am currently using the medicated feed and they are growing so fast. It wont be long before they are in the coop/pen/run that I have built for them

medicated feed has a very small does of amprolium in it to help ward off cocci

other than that i dont really see a difference in the 2 feeds

Amprolium is a thiamine blocker. Thiamine is a vitamin which the cocci need to replicate. The chick's greatest exposure to cocci is when they move out into the run. Some owners put their chicks on medicated feed, and stop it when they move to the run, just when they are getting their greatest exposure to cocci, especially if the ground is wet. If the chicks have a strong immune system, they are not likely to get sick, because the healthy bacteria in their guts will keep the cocci in check. Cocci is a natural gut flora for a chicken, and only when it's out of balance with the other gut organisms that the bird will get ill.

There are natural ways to build a chick's immunity including giving them exposure to the soil in your yard and giving them fermented feed. During the first 2 weeks after hatch, the chick has her strongest immunity which was received from her mother. By working in that 2 week window of opportunity, you can get your chicks going on a life time of good strong immunity to help them ward off all illnesses.

There is no right/wrong response re: choosing to use medicated feed, or not using medicated feed. It is an individual decision, best made after reading the literature re: pro's and con's.

As always lg well said
Too bad I'm out of ovates :/

Thank you so much for taking the time to share that information. That was very helpful.

Thank you for the very helpful information

YVW.

Hi everyone,
I am new here also and I am a week in to my first hatch. I read somewhere that since I hatched my chicks and didn't buy them,I should use madicated feed because the breeder's vaccinat their chicks, and mine aren't.
My question is since I have started them on it ,and they are doing great, when should I take them off of it and go with regular non medicated?

maxman said:

Hi everyone,
I am new here also and I am a week in to my first hatch. I read somewhere that since I hatched my chicks and didn't buy them,I should use madicated feed because the breeder's vaccinat their chicks, and mine aren't.
My question is since I have started them on it ,and they are doing great, when should I take them off of it and go with regular non medicated?

Click to expand...

that is totally up to you, i know some people feed it for a couple weeks and go to unmedicated, some feed it until laying and switch to layer feed or all flock

maxman said:

Hi everyone,
I am new here also and I am a week in to my first hatch. I read somewhere that since I hatched my chicks and didn't buy them,I should use madicated feed because the breeder's vaccinat their chicks, and mine aren't.
My question is since I have started them on it ,and they are doing great, when should I take them off of it and go with regular non medicated?

Click to expand...

Breeders/hatcheries do NOT regularly vaccinate against cocci. Cocci is what the medicated feed is targeted for.

It's all about timing. Read lazygardener's post above. If you're giving them medicated feed and they're in the brooder, great. But when they really need it is when they hit the dirt. Before that, they're not really exposed.

Since you live in Arkansas, I'm thinking you're warm and wet, which does increase your chances of a big cocci load in your soil. Warm and wet is what the little buggers love.

You can either continue with the medicated feed for a few weeks after they're on the dirt, or take them off and watch them closely. First signs are ruffled feathers, hunched over, lethargic. Bloody poops come a day or so later and by then you may be losing chicks. Be sure you have access to Corid, which is the medication used to treat cocci outbreaks. You'll need to get it to them ASAP after you notice symptoms, waiting for 3 day shipping will get you dead chicks.

You can also start exposing them now, to help build immunity. Take some soil from the yard and put it in the brooder. Gives them something to do, they learn to scratch, etc, and exposes them to a light load of whatever you have in your soil.