Amprolium vs Bacitracin in chick starter

[verlaj]

I have been feeding my chicks (ages 2 to 4 weeks) Nutrena chick starter/grower. I just realized that this feed has Bacitracin in it instead of Amprolium.

What are the pros and cons of these 2 drugs in the feed? All I have been able to find so far is that Amprolium allows gradual buildup of immunity to coccidia, whereas Bacitracin prevents enteritis. I would like for my chicks to build up immunity to cocci.

Will Bacitracin allow this? Should I change feed to a brand with Amprolium?

Thanks!

 

[Judy]

I use amprolium and would not give the Bacitracin. Bacitracin is an antibiotic, which means they are building immunity to that antibiotic. Amprolium is not an antibiotic. It just inhibits growth of the cocci, but does not kill them all so the chicks can still develop immunities. I believe it inhibits thiamine uptake by the cocci.

 

[verlaj]

I am a little annoyed at Nutrena over this. I would swear that the first bag of Nutrena chick starter I purchased had Amprolium in it. I see posted on the web several places "Nutrena Chick Starter/Grower with Amprolium." The Nutrena website has no information on the medication added. I did send a message to them via the web, but don't expect to hear anything until tomorrow, since today is Sunday.

Unfortunately, I just bought a 50# bag of the Bacitracin-medicated feed!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I agree.

 

[cochinbantam-lover]

I bought a couple bags of Nutrena Chick Starter Crumbs (AMP+) Medicated I wonder what you have there, I looked at the ingredients and this stuff has no Bacitracin.

Strange!

 

[verlaj]

I know! I'm sure the first bag I bought had Amprolium. But the one I have now on the tag says it has Bacitracin. The bag itself only says Chick Starter/Grower.

 

[cochinbantam-lover]

That is odd, does it say Premium on the bag, mine does, could that be it, maybe?

 

[verlaj]

Yes - Premium. I am pretty sure I bought the first bag (AMP) at one feed store and the subsequent ones at another. It didn't even occur to me to check that the drug was the same! I guess I need to go buy some at the first feed store, which is much farther away.

Any thoughts about how I should change them back over to the Amprolium one? I still have most of my chicks in the house, but there are 9 with a hen out in a broody pen - not yet on dirt though.

 

[Judy]

You know, Speckledhen has talked about how she has been having to treat for cocci this year despite using feed medicated with amprolium.

What does Purina know that we don't know???

Never liked their dog food, anyway.

 

[verlaj]

It's a Nutrena feed I've been using, not Purina. I'm pretty sure the Purina chick starter has Amprolium. I was thinking of switching to Purina because of that and the Purina dealer is closer than the Nutrena dealer that had the Amprolium chick starter. The first time I raised chicks I fed Nutrena and I'm sure they grew better than the second time, when I fed Purina. Of course, there were a lot of other factors.

But, back to the main topic - are you saying that I should stick with the Bacitracin feed because of the potential of having problems with cocci if I switch back to Amprolium?