Amprolium shelf life

[JDGreene]

What is the shelf life of the powder vs the liquid?
Is it different after the container is opened for some reason?
Why do you have to make a fresh batch of the medicine every day? I assume it breaks down in water?

The store had the powder and liquid version of Amprolium so I looked at the expiration dates. The powder expires in Feb2019 and the liquid expires in 2023. Bought the liquid. Maybe they had an old batch of the powder, not sure. I don't expect to use all the medicine in the course so I want it to keep, just in case.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Making a new batch ensures that the medicated water is fresh and helps reduce whatever contaminates that the chickens introduce it while drinking from the water station each day.
Ideally, chickens should have fresh clean water each day to begin with. Think about this - chickens scratch and peck all day long through dirt, bedding and poop. Whatever is on the beak is introduced to the water station.

As long as you store the powdered Corid in a dry place and if opened you keep it in a sealed bag, it should be fine.
Liquid, the same way - there should be information on your label to store it in a cool dry place.

I'm not sure about the Powder being an old batch? Are you referring to the expiration date? It's not out of date, so would not be pulled off the shelves. Corid is used for poultry, cattle, goats and probably other livestock or animals, so depends on what animal is being treated. One of those bags of powder may only make 1 or 2 batches for a calf.

 

[JDGreene]

So really I could make a new batch of medicated water at night (instead of the morning) while they are roosting for the next day without any ill affects because it will just be sitting there, unless a mouse decides to drink.

What I meant was the powder at the store expired before the liquid. Maybe they ordered the powder years ago and maybe they just received the liquid recently?

 

[coach723]

The only reference to the powder I can find is a question/answer on Amazon that says the powder needs to be used within 30 days of opening. The actual label on the product does not say that. If you live where it's humid, then it's very hard to keep any powdered products/medicines for very long once opened, they tend to attract moisture and become clumped up or hardened, making them very hard to measure. The liquid contains Benzoic Acid as a preservative, which gives it a long shelf life, even if opened. I personally find the liquid most convenient and easy to store, but if I needed it to treat an outbreak I would get whichever was available quickly, I would get the liquid if just stocking my first aid box.
Here are the product labels for both:
http://www.corid.com/CoridProducts.html
**EDIT** The links didn't work, this one does, it has links for the product data sheets for all the forms.

 

[JDGreene]

Yes I saw that too.

 

[Chickassan]

I store my meds in the fridge in one of those zip lock bowls. Liquids and powders keeps them very nicely.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So really I could make a new batch of medicated water at night (instead of the morning) while they are roosting for the next day without any ill affects because it will just be sitting there, unless a mouse decides to drink.

What I meant was the powder at the store expired before the liquid. Maybe they ordered the powder years ago and maybe they just received the liquid recently?

It takes very little time to add 2tsp of Corid to a gallon jug and add water.
I suppose it would be o.k. to mix it the night before and put out "fresh".

Are your chicks sick? What type of water station and brooder do you have?
I've found with chicks, even though they start with very clean water in the morning, after a few hours the water station is usually dirty. That's even with it being raised up chest high on a block, they kick bedding and get dirt it in. For chicks I usually have to change water several times a day.

 

[JDGreene]

I was merely curious as to why a fresh batch of medicine was needed. I agree about the water getting dirty. My chicks are 7 weeks old. They aren't little. I have seen them poop in the water and actually believe they want to poop in it for some reason. Now that they are bigger, it's harder for them to poop in my waterer but they still get little bits of dirt in it from their beak.

They are out in the coop and it takes me more than a very little time to change out their water especially now that I've turned off all the outside spickets for winter. I've removed my big waterer and I'm using the "chick" quart mason jar waterer with the medicine so it's not really a big deal with the little waterer. 6 chickens only drinking about 1 pint per day.

 

[coach723]

I can only assume that it degrades with time, all instructions (even on the product data sheets) says to make fresh daily but it never addresses exactly why. It does say that drench mixtures can be stored for up to 3 days (the drench on the label). I've always just made a fresh batch every day, never wanted to risk doing otherwise.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I was merely curious as to why a fresh batch of medicine was needed. I agree about the water getting dirty. My chicks are 7 weeks old. They aren't little. I have seen them poop in the water and actually believe they want to poop in it for some reason. Now that they are bigger, it's harder for them to poop in my waterer but they still get little bits of dirt in it from their beak.

They are out in the coop and it takes me more than a very little time to change out their water especially now that I've turned off all the outside spickets for winter. I've removed my big waterer and I'm using the "chick" quart mason jar waterer with the medicine so it's not really a big deal with the little waterer. 6 chickens only drinking about 1 pint per day.

Poop in the water is just contamination, so waterers need to be cleaned as needed. Sometimes more than once a day when dealing with chicks.

I don't have outside spigots, so I carry gallons jugs of water daily for my chickens. Depending on your set up it could make it harder to have to carry water.
For Six, 7 week old chicks, I would expect them to drink more than 1 pint of water a day.