Medicated Feed

[LizGio]

I received a batch of 8 silkies and the breeder told me they were on medicated feed. I'm trying to find out why that is. She informed me that they were hatched out in the coop and stayed with the mama for 2 days until she brought them inside in their own brooder. Since having bought them home, I placed them in a fresh brooder box. My plan is to add some dirt from the outdoors into their brooder box to hopefully build an immunity to the germs in my soil and run. From my understanding, medicated feed will inhibit building their immunity to my particular strains. I would like to know how long medicated feed lasts in a chick's system. This batch started hatching May 31st and the last chick was hatched on June 6th.

@U_Stormcrow

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Good question. I don't know.

Amprolium can be detected in eggs up to 10 days after last use (because we have very sensitive tests, not because its remotely effective at such reduced concentrations. This (very small - warning) study found a half life for orally administered Amprolium to be well under an hour. So if they got a preventative dose, in under an hour it would be roughly half strength, at 2 hours 1/4 strength, at less than three hours 1/8 strength, at less than 4 hours 1/16th strength...

It fades very quickly. Its designed to inhibit coccidia in the gut, not to be some sort of systemic shield - so the majority of it passes thru a chicken as quickly as the rest of their feed does, while what is absorbed into the bloodstream is rapidly eliminated.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

From my understanding, medicated feed will inhibit building their immunity to my particular strains.

Incorrect. But great question!

Medicated feed has Amprol which mimics thiamine to slow the growth of the coccidia and starve them out and allow the chickens immune system to build resistance while not being over whelmed by excess coccidia. It doesn't actively kills the coccidia. Nor does it in my overthinking opinion inhibit the chicks resistance.

She informed me that they were hatched out in the coop and stayed with the mama for 2 days

That's not a breeder! At least not a good or rather responsible/informed one as far as I'm concerned. The polite term I suppose is backyard hatcher.

and it's a great way to introduce AI, IB, Mareks and whole host of other chicken disease that have yet to present in the offspring. Hopefully that won't be the case for you! Sorry for mentioning it.

What color are your babies, pics required!

 

[Shadrach]

Incorrect. But great question!

Medicated feed has Amprol which mimics thiamine to slow the growth of the coccidia and starve them out and allow the chickens immune system to build resistance while not being over whelmed by excess coccidia. It doesn't actively kills the coccidia. Nor does it in my overthinking opinion inhibit the chicks resistance.


That's not a breeder! At least not a good or rather responsible/informed one as far as I'm concerned.

and it's a great way to introduce AI, IB, Mareks and whole host of other chicken disease that have yet to present in the offspring. Hopefully that won't be the case for you! Sorry for mentioning it.

What color are your babies, pics required!

Well done. Saved me posting.

 

[LizGio]

You know I'm going to have a thousand pictures! And I will upload them in a few seconds! The colors are black white and partridge (show girls). That's what I was told. I'm a first time silkie owner. And for that matter first time chicken owner since starting our first hatching journey in April with a May 1st hatch!

 

[LizGio]

 

[LizGio]

 

[LizGio]

 

[SandyRiverChick]

So you didn't mention what feed type you're now feeding...? But I would assume you're not feeding medicated and you're worried about the medicated feed they ate before you brought them home interfering with your plan to introduce your soil and help them build immunity. It wont. That's over-thinking it, it's gone from the system unless you keep them on it. Like others have said medicated feed is only designed to help with Coccidia, yet even chicks on medicated feed will get Coccidiosis if there is an overload from exposure to soil and/or feces from other chickens. This has been a rough Spring for Coccidiosis so keep an eye out for that. I had a chick show signs at 5 weeks from exposure to my soil via the brooder dirt pan that I always provide. Same plan as yours. They had a brand new brooder and the only exposure was via my yard soil (not even the chicken run.)

 

[LizGio]

So you didn't mention what feed type you're now feeding...? But I would assume you're not feeding medicated and you're worried about the medicated feed they ate before you brought them home interfering with your plan to introduce your soil and help them build immunity. It wont. That's over-thinking it, it's gone from the system unless you keep them on it. Like others have said medicated feed is only designed to help with Coccidia, yet even chicks on medicated feed will get Coccidiosis if there is an overload from exposure to soil and/or feces from other chickens. This has been a rough Spring for Coccidiosis so keep an eye out for that. I had a chick show signs at 5 weeks from exposure to my soil via the brooder dirt pan that I always provide. Same plan as yours. They had a brand new brooder and the only exposure was via my yard soil (not even the chicken run.)

You assumed right. I am not feeding medicated. Just Chickstarter 20%