Can I switch my chicks onto medicated feed?

[sariemma]

My chicks are about about two weeks old and I never really heard about medicated feed until today. I have just been feeding them hen food...If I switched them to medicated feed would it still have an affect? Would it still be advantageous?

 

[azygous]

Yes, switch them to medicated chick feed. The amprolium in it will help them get started on being resistant to the cocci that exists in your local soil. It's not really a "medication", by the way. All it does is block a certain B-vitamin that cocci parasites thrive on. It doesn't protect against any diseases.

That said, "hen" food has calcium in it for laying hens. It's not for baby chicks. Layer feed should only be fed to hens that are actually laying eggs so they can replenish the calcium in their bodies that egg shell building depletes. It's also not high enough in protein for growing chicks.