Advice on medicated starter feed

[odysseychicken]

I am picking up my chicks tomorrow. My supplier said he vaccinates the chicks but he still recommends medicated starter. I was under the impression that you should not give them medicated feed if they have bee vaccinated. Will it harm them? He said it is what he does and he raises and sells chickens so, it obviously isn't killing them.

 

[Folly's place]

If he's vaccinating for Marek's disease, that's a very good thing, and has nothing to do with the feed. Amprolium in medicated chick starter is designed to control coccidiosis, caused by a one-celled intestinal parasite in the ground. If your chicks need it, by all means feed it to them. You will find out the hard way if your ground is contaminated and you don't feed medicated starter. Mary

 

[donrae]

What Mary said....you're looking at two different diseases.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I am picking up my chicks tomorrow. My supplier said he vaccinates the chicks but he still recommends medicated starter. I was under the impression that you should not give them medicated feed if they have bee vaccinated. Will it harm them? He said it is what he does and he raises and sells chickens so, it obviously isn't killing them.

Ask the supplier specifically what he is vaccinating for/against -- you will only need to avoid medicated starter if it he is vaccinating against coccidiosis, which is not as common as vaccinating against Marek's .

 

[odysseychicken]

Thanks.

I cleared it up with the supplier. He vaccinates for Mareks. I will go with medicated feed now with no worries.

 

[teish4armc]

How long should they be on medicated starter, then what do they go on?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You can feed it to point of lay depending on the protein percentage. If it is higher than 18%, I'd switch to something lower in protein by 7 or 8 weeks.


I don't feed medicated at all. Keeping bedding bone dry and feeders full usually eliminates the need. Coccidia goes through multiple life stages that requires a moist environment and keeping feed in front of chicks lessens the chance they'll be eating feces and bedding.
They'll eventually be exposed to coccidia and if they just get a few oocysts they develop resistance.