Chick feed/ medicated or non?

[LuckyCluckyCA]

my first batch of eggs hatch aprox the 27th so I’m getting supplies. Chick feed- pros / cons or personal preferences and why are requested to help me decide medicated or non medicated. Ty!

 

[courtsmarans]

I have used both in the past but I feel unmedicated works just fine. Medicated is more expensive and I've found that if a chick is going to get sick, it's going to need more help than just medicated feed. And besides, why treat an illness that isn't there. I just feel that is unresponsible. Hopefully, other people will respond and also help you decide!

 

[chickens really]

I definitely use medicated with incubator Chicks..Coccidiosis is deadly and the risks are high..I use unmedicated with my Broody Hens and Chicks in my Coop.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

Medicated feed can clog their valves when they’re super young. It’s not necessarily life threatening since you can just pinch it off but it’s curtainly not something you want to deal with. Our first batch we bought medicated by mistake and almost lost one of our chicks because we didn’t know what to do. I would just go with regular. It’s cheaper and you won’t have to worry about the poops.

 

[Folly's place]

There are lots of opinions, and misinformation, on this topic.
Low dose amprolium, as in medicated feed in the USA, is not harmful to the chicks!!! It helps them manage their exposure to coccidia, so immunity can develop without overwhelming infection.
Is it necessary? It depends, and only hindsight will tell. Having very sick or dying chicks because of coccidiosis is not a good thing! Some properties, some years, will be overloaded with the parasite, while other properties never seem to have this problem.
It's about hindsight, if you don't use it and have sick chicks, and what your risk tolerance level is.
I used to feed it, but after many years of broody raised chicks without issues here, haven't used it for a very long time. Someday this may not work for me, but it's been good so far. All my birds eat an all flock feed rather than having different feeds for different groups.
My neighbor one mile away, with different soil, had deaths due to coccidiosis, and gapeworm. Never here! It's about your soil and exposure.
Mary

 

[DellaMyDarling]

Medicated feed can clog their valves when they’re super young. It’s not necessarily life threatening since you can just pinch it off but it’s curtainly not something you want to deal with. Our first batch we bought medicated by mistake and almost lost one of our chicks because we didn’t know what to do. I would just go with regular. It’s cheaper and you won’t have to worry about the poops.

Are you referring to"pasty butt"?
That has nothing to do with the type of feed.


I fought Coccidia in my Brooders. I'm not sure feeding unmedicated or medicated would have made a difference. Knowing the signs of Coccidiosis sooner may have saved the ones I lost. 2/3 of my chicks, from hatchery, were vaccinated too!

 

[Shadrach]

I feed medicated feed because coccidiosis has been a major problem here in the past and the chicks free range with mum very early (two or three days old) Unfortunately you don't find out there's a problem until chicks get ill and die.
My advice is if you are not going to use medicated feed for chicks make sure you have something like Corid, or another amprolium product at hand because coccidiosis kills chicks very rapidly.
Feeding medicated feed does not guarantee your chicks won't get coccidia. What it should do is reduce the risk.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

Are you referring to"pasty butt"?
That has nothing to do with the type of feed.


I fought Coccidia in my Brooders. I'm not sure feeding unmedicated or medicated would have made a difference. Knowing the signs of Coccidiosis sooner may have saved the ones I lost. 2/3 of my chicks, from hatchery, were vaccinated too!

Maybe, all I know is the man who runs our local feed store warned us that medicated could cause their valves to get clogged.

 

[Shadrach]

Are you referring to"pasty butt"?
That has nothing to do with the type of feed.


I fought Coccidia in my Brooders. I'm not sure feeding unmedicated or medicated would have made a difference. Knowing the signs of Coccidiosis sooner may have saved the ones I lost. 2/3 of my chicks, from hatchery, were vaccinated too!

Unfortunately the vaccines usually only cover one or two particular strains of coccidia. If you've got a different strain the vaccines won't work.

 

[Al Capon]

And besides, why treat an illness that isn't there.

Coccidian protozoa are everywhere and by the time you figure out your chick has Coccidiosis, chances are pretty good it will die. Medicated feed contains Amprolium, which only protects against Coccidiosis. It's not like your feeding a broad spectrum antibiotic.