Confusion on Medicated chick starter

[winekntrychicks]

Have a new batch of silkies 3 days old. Went to get chick starter. On the bag is says feed medicated chick starter if you don't want flock to build immunity. I thought that was the purpose of med. starter to help introduce them slowly to coccidia so that they can build immunity...any thoughts.

 

[jab91864]

I believe it's medicated to prevent , not introduce cocci to the birds.

I'm sure someone who knows for sure will post as I am often wrong about so many things....lol

 

[Davaroo]

The "medicated" element is a coccidiostat, as the name suggests. You feed it to prevent coccidiosis from taking hold of your hatchlings, which are VERY susceptible to it.

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease, caused by an intestinal fluke. This critter can live for a long time away from it's preferred host and is harbored in droppings and damp spots around the chicken yard. It is one of the top chicken diseases and all chickens are susceptible to it. Naturally, chickies are especially liable to pick it up.
It's root cause is overcrowding - too many birds in too small an area.

This is a prime reason why you should play it safe with chickens:
Moderate their numbers, do not put chickens on land that has previouly housed them in confinement for 1 or 2 years, and rotate your own confinement reared birds to new living areas every year or so.

 

[winekntrychicks]

Thanks for replies. I called purina. My question was will the amp. still allow immunity to build while on medicated starter. Below is what the PhD at purnia emailed to me

"The tag is worded as per the requirement by the FDA. At the levels of AMP we use, immunity will develope, but it will take a while. IF the bird was vaccinated for cocci when hatched, the AMP in the feed will negate that immunity.

Thank you very much,

Gary

Gary Lynch, Ph.D.
Companion Animal Business Group
636-742-6162
email: [email protected] "

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Always give your hatched out chicks medicated starter. The eggs can be exposed to disease by the hen when the egg is being formed.

It is not just for cocci, it is for egg cross over diseases also. Remember you are not vaccinating your chicks. I do not know many who do. If I had my way I would vaccinate for Marek's disease, but this is too expensive for a small hatch.

You should put mineral and vitamins in the water for a week or so also.

Congratulations !!

 

[cmom]

Congratulations on your new babies!!! I have started all of my chicks on medicated Starter/Grower. They need the nutrients in the starter for proper growth. Medicated is sulfa based. It inhibits the growth of cocci so the cocci can't reproduce.