Antibiotic in Chicks water

[Noah's Ark]

HI,
NEW CHICK HERE DO I NEED ANTIBIOTIC IN MY CHICKS WATER? IF SO FOR HOW LONG DO I GIVE THEM THAT?

 

[poopcoop]

I would and did with mine. I gave it twice a week in the water until they were four weeks old. I also got medicated chick starter by Nature's Choice. I have 26 brown egg layers that are now 9 weeks old (lost one).

Good Luck,
Ray

 

[speckledhen]

NEVER have I ever put antibiotic in chicks water. Why would you? Medicated starter only has coccidiostats, not antibiotics normally. You don't want to start out building up antibiotic resistance when they dont have any diseases in the first place.

 

[silkiechicken]

I also would not medicate water unless they have a confirmed infection or a high risk like open wound. Giving antibiotics regularly increases the chances of high populations of resistant bacteria which you cannot fight with antibiotics in the future. In other words, they won't work when you really need them.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

So plain water and non-medicated food is okay to start with?

 

[silkiechicken]

Yep, perfectally fine. Most medicated feeds come with amprolium which is a thamine blocker that helps the birds build immunity to cocci which can be found in most moist soils. I've done chickens with and without amprol medicated feeds, and only had one case of cocci in 10 years on a group that was late to be exposed to the soil.

 

[Noah's Ark]

Well, duh!!!!

I don't take antibiotic and wouldn't give them to my children.
So why would I give them to my chicks who aren't even sick.

Thanks so much!

 

[ticks]

the people at TSC MADE me buy teramyicen

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Huh. Usually they make people buy more chicks.

 

[fullhouse]

Quote:
Tell them you have some at home already

I haven't used it.