Dumor: Did I get the right feed?

[AmpersatChick]

We are eagerly awaiting our first set of 11 chicks set to arrive in 2 weeks. Yesterday we went to TSC to pick up food and feeders. I have been reading a lot but have zero practical knowledge. I went in planning to get Purina medicated feed (the chicks will only have a mareks vaccine as far as I know) and I had heard electrolytes were good to put in the water to reduce the effects of travel stress. The helpful employee said "no, you don't need that" and sent me away with Dumor non-medicated feed (which I've heard bad things about) and probiotics for the water (never even heard of these!) Ack, feeling lost and wondering if I was lead astray or if I was put on the right path!

Help!

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Mediated feed is really a choice. Some people use it and some don't. You will be hard pressed to find a "right" answer.

Most medicated feed just has a medicated called amprolium. (You would need to look at the specific feed that you have in mind to see what it has. Some also have antibiotics but that is less common). I would suggest looking at the medications in the feed and reading what it is they do and deciding if you want them or not.

Amprolium is merely a cocci preventative. Not a treatment, and it does not work perfectly (Cocci is a parasite). It may also be a good idea to read about cocci so you know what to look for just in case.

http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyar...edicated-feed-all-about-do-I-need-it-H74.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amprolium

I personally do not use medicated feed. Healthy food and a cleaning living environment reduce the spread of cocci. In my mind medicated feed is intended for for commercial birds who live in tighter, dirtier conditions.

Probiotics are to promote healthy gut bacteria. You could also just give them plain, natural, unsweetened yogurt. ACV (apple cider vinegar with the MOTHER in it) in their water also promotes a healthy gut and it is harder for parasites to reproduce in a healthy gut.

 

[AmpersatChick]

Thanks so much for the help ChickensRDinos! Eases my mind. I keep wondering if chickens really are so tricky or if I'm just obsessing too much

 

[Chickmagnet36]

I've been using Dumor non-medicated chick starter since day one with my 6 chicks(now 8 weeks) and had no problems. I also second what ChickensRDinos said about keeping the environment clean, as well as the food / water clean to cut down on potential health problems. I was also told that the chicks I bought had already been vaccinated at the hatchery, which is one of the reasons I went with non-medicated feed. Hope this helps...

 

[Fred's Hens]

Good advice above.

If you choose to feed medicated feed, a great time to do so is at weeks 5 through 12. This is the time the chicks get moved to the ground and come in contact with cocci. Starting them out, in your clean brooder without medicated isn't much of a risk, if any. They'll be just fine. If you wish to feed the amprollium feed later, you still can.

 

[HeatherEmme]

The hatchery I bought my chicks from did not recommend medicated food. Right now they're on Dumor chick start and when they're older they'll be moved to a whole grain mix from the hatchery. I've had no problems with the Dumor chick start. It's 24% protein which is more than the even the hatchery uses. Theirs is 23%.

Mine were vaccinated for mareks also.

 

[Fred's Hens]

While rare, some folks have soil that absolutely riddled with cocci.

Any brooded chick put on the ground is dead within weeks. THAT is why such people either dilute Corid in the waterer or feed amprollium in the feed.

By no means is everyone's situation this sober, but it exists and the vaccination is rarely for cocci, but for mareks disease.

 

[JesBarthel]

Central Florida is one of those places where Cocci is abundant in the soil. I made the mistake off letting my very first batch of chicks have 20 minutes of "play-time" on the ground, and a week later all but one were dead. I didn't recognize the signs that occur BEFORE the bloody poop, and so the Corid wasn't fast/effective enough.

 

[AmpersatChick]

Good info, thanks so much! What about the probiotics and the electrolytes. I got packets of both that can be mixed in the water. Can I use both at the same time?

 

[JesBarthel]

From what I've read, you're not supposed to mix anything with the water that has corid in it. I would go with the suggestion of plain yogurt to help them along