Coccidostats

[MammaHen]

I am really keen to put my meat birds onto a feed that hasn't got all the extra junk in it like growth stimulants etc. The only draw back in the only one I can get here in SA has ABSOLUTELY nothing in it including no coccidiostat. If I start my chicks on a medicated starter and then change to the grower with no extra stuff, will the coccidiostat in the starter still offer them any resistance or not? Gee that really sounds like Arabic. Hope it makes sense...

 

[greyfields]

Considering your location, this is going to be tough to answer.

In the USA growth stimulants and hormones are banned in teh production of chicken meat. So as far as "medicated" feeds go, they only contain coccidiostats. We also have the options of getting chicken based on vegetarian protein, etc. It's just going to be impossible to say for SA.

 

[MammaHen]

Thanks for your response. I read somewhere once that if you start them off on a medicated feed for the starter feed and then put them onto non-medicated, they should have enough resistance to cocci. Would you say there's any truth in it?

 

[tnkinhunting]

I was told by my feed store manager yesterday that that was not true. If the birds are exposed to the bug that causes cocci even tho they have previously been treated for it, they can catch it again.

He said you must clean, disinfect, and remove all bedding and they may still re infect because when they have it they pass so very many of the bugs - thousands and thousands.

I always thought that once you fed your chicks medicated feed if they came in contact with cocci that they were immune - he says not so. I also thought that once you treated and cured your chicks of cocci that they were immune - not so!

According to my feed store manager who has some kind of agricultural degree and is usually quite knowledgable, so I am treating a group who had been previously treated but are now re-infected. Next step, all pens are going to be cleaned - disinfected - and new litter put down - this is after treatment is finished so that hopefully all eggs and bugs will be passed.

 

[greyfields]

They must actally be exposed to the cocci while they are eating the medicated ration in order for theri body to develop the ability to fight it. So if they get exposed after you change feeds, they could become infected.

However, this is starting to sound like a nuianced argument. If you have cocci in your area, it's very likely to be in the brooder as well.

 

[tnkinhunting]

Here is a good article

http://www.clemson.edu/LPH/Coccidia in poultry.pdf

 

[MammaHen]

Thanks. I think I'll be getting a coccidiostat, just to be on the safe side....