Feed question

[upchickadee]

I've ordered un medicated organic feed for my chicks ( what they're used to) but I'm running out of feed at home and the stuff I ordered hasn't arrived yet. My local feed store only has medicated starter feed. My chicks are already vaccinated. If I feed them the medicated feed for a day or two will it harm them?

 

[OreoPlymothRock]

you can try mixing a homemade feed solution, mix wheat, oats, barley, soy. or you can fee them boiled eggs for a day or two. And if I were you, i wouldn't feed them medicated feed, I'm organic myself, and I don't feed them medicated. By the way, what is your feed store's name?

 

[10xmama]

Feeding medicated feed to vaccinated chicks nullifies the vaccines... at least that is what the hatchery said when I bought mine.

 

[Percheron chick]

Medicated feed has nothing to do with vaccinations and has no affect on them. The medicated feed will help prevent cocci while the most common vaccination is for Marek's disease. If you are trying to stay organic, you should stay away from medicated chick starter. You can make up your own feed with oats, corn and eggs (all organic) for a few days.

 

[10xmama]

Medicated feed has nothing to do with vaccinations and has no affect on them. The medicated feed will help prevent cocci while the most common vaccination is for Marek's disease. If you are trying to stay organic, you should stay away from medicated chick starter. You can make up your own feed with oats, corn and eggs (all organic) for a few days.

That's not what MurrayMcMurray hatchery says on their site. They gave a very clear warning when purchasing and vaccinating that feeding medicated feed nullified the cocididosis vaccine. Not sure if that's the case for Marek's? But if you vaccinated for both then you wouldn't want to use medicated feed ...

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/faqhowlongdoihavetokeepfeeding.html

 

[donrae]

Buy a bag of non medicated grower and feed them that for a few days. The slight difference in protein levels won't hurt a thing. Hang on to the rest for when they're off starter.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

For just a day or two you can simply feed them rolled oats (as in oatmeal). It won't hurt them and the nutritional differences won't add up to much for such a short period of time.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How old are your chicks? It normally takes them about three weeks to build up the immunity to Cocci once they are exposed. I’m no expert but I‘d think you’d be OK if they are older than three weeks. You can always call McMurray and see what they say.

Something about that Cocci vaccine. It does not protect them from every strain of Cocci. It’s been a few years since I looked it up, but there are several different strains of Cocci. Immunity to one strain does not give them immunity to all strains. That vaccine only protects against about half the strains.

Feeding chicks that have received the Cocci vaccination can possibly negate the effects of the Cocci vaccine. It doesn’t affect Marek’s or anything else they may be vaccinated for. The “medicine” in medicated feed is almost certainly Amprolium. Check the label to be sure. Amprolium is not an antibiotic. It targets Cocci and nothing else. It will not treat anything else and it will not kill any probiotics they have in their system.

But I really don’t see you as having a problem or needing to take a chance. Feed them something else while you are waiting. You can feed them oats, corn meal, any grain and a lot of other things. They will do fine for a couple of days. You probably want to give them grit so they can grind it up in case it is in big bits and not already ground up.

Good luck!!!

 

[upchickadee]

Thank you all for the input. It was very much appreciated! I purchased my chicks from mypetchicken.com and I later found on their website that they vaccinate for Marek's only so I don't have to worry about the medicated feed affecting the vaccine.