Age to Take Chicks Off Medicated Feed

[chicksnhummers]

We have chicks that are 7 weeks old and we just combined them with our year old chickens. Is it too early to take the chicks off of the medicated feed? They were not vaccinated when we got them, and we want to make sure they don't get sick. Thanks in advance for any help with this!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Medicated feed usually has amprolium in it (is that yours) which works by blocking thiamine to slow the growth of coccidia which are in every single chicken poo. Some people use it if they have special condition like overcrowding or warm wet weather. Some feed stores (or people) fear monger us into believing our birds will die if we don't start on medicated.... I used with my first THREE chicks. Never again have I bought it. Nor will I. I did have to treat chicks using Corid (the same active ingredient) the first year in this house with a wet season and previous owner had a lot of birds and I took my chicks straight out for full time exposure instead of gradual. Since then I bring a dirt plug in early and get chicks to pasture as soon as possible just like the broody hens do. Some people who use medicated feed will still need to treat as it is a "preventative" dose. My favorite preventative, is dry bedding and making sure the water cannot get poo since that is how it spreads fastest. Their own immune system really does naturally fight it and ONLY a problem when allowed of bloom out of control.

In other words, it wont hurt them to feed until it's gone. Take them off whenever you are ready. However, if your big birds are eating layer feed that would not be my choice for young birds. They need more protein and less calcium. Since I always have chicks, juveniles, hens and such I feed a flock raiser with oyster shell on the side for layer. The young birds will sample it but it won't be enough to cause any *possible* side effects like stunted growth, delayed development, even delayed onset of lay.

The medicated feed also won't hurt your older birds though I would have to look at egg effects..
http://www.farad.org/publications/digests/122015EggResidue.pdf

file:///home/chronos/u-8dddc19ebe5a812af6d3c24d8816a73a75dad5e1/Downloads/LayingHensEggResidues.pdf

Hope this is helpful.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Is it too early to take the chicks off of the medicated feed?

When the bag runs out. BUT keep their habitat clean.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I used medicated feed (Amprolium) for 16 weeks before transitioning to a Layers feed with my first batch of day old chicks with good results.
I have since read that Amprolium is effective up to 10 weeks.
So I would switch to a Non-Medicated Starter Grower feed after 10 weeks (when the medicated feed ran out) with my next batch and offer Oyster Shells in a separate container for the hens.
It is safe to eat the eggs if the hens eat feed with Amprolium. GC