Feeding non medicated chick feed

[foothillsfiber]

Went to a different store and asked for medicated chick starter and they gave me the only chick starter that they had. it is country acres chick starter/grower 17% crumbles, green bag. I don't believe it is medicated. I have 25 chicks coming in this week and have never raised without medicated feed. Should I just go get a bag on medicated or is there something else that I can do or add to the feed/water to keep them from getting sick?
thanks
James

 

[Sphinx]

I have raised two batches of chicks. The first batch I got from the feed store, so they came from a hatchery. Not knowing any different, and because they came from such a big place, I gave them medicated feed.

The second batch were hatched from my backyard flock, and they were given non medicated feed.

I had chicks hatch yesterday and today, and the only feed they had in a 25 lb bag was medicated, so I went medicated again. These chicks came from shipped eggs.


I'm not sure what's "best". I lean towards medicated, but that's because I never want to deal with disease in tiny chicks.

 

[MNShepherdess]

Personally, I've always had bad luck with medicated feed. It kind of feels like unless you keep them on medicated feed all their lives, that you tend to lose some in the transition because they haven't been allowed to build up immunity to cocci and other stuff in the soil. Kind of like babies...do you sterilize everything, or let them play in the dirt a little?

 

[HetaChick]

I always try to get non medicated. Logically, the idea of being constantly dosed with a light amount of medication would not be beneficial to any living thing. Bacteria not killed would grow an immunity towards the treatment, this is why your doctor stresses the importance of finishing medicine when you're sick. They grow natural immunities without it and I believe that makes them stronger. If you keep. Their facilities CLEAN and DO NOT expose them to other flocks or sick birds and practice bio security you should be ok. The medicated food wouldn't save them from much except coccidiosis anyways.


Good luck though, I have my birds on medicated now because I couldn't find the non medicated last time I was at the feed store. My chicks do get out with a hen though.

 

[Nonny]

My only experience with chicks is the four I have right now, but when I got them the supplier gave me a bag of non-medicated feed. One chick ended up with cocci (the only symptom I noticed was very red bloody stools) which was easily treated with a bottle of stuff from the feed store. I haven't swapped their feed to medicated but the others are all dong fine so I'm not too worried and will continue to use up the bag of feed I already have.

Just keep their food and water free of poop as much as you can, and keep an eye out for signs of illness so you can treat it in the early stages.

 

[Ole rooster]

You can get a vitamins and electrolytes powder from durvet to mix in water. I've been using that and they drink it right up. My chicks have been on that from birth. Well that's only been nearly 3 week now.

 

[HetaChick]

Quote:
Your bird also may have already been sick when you got it. Sorry to hear that good luck with the rest!

 

[bloom chicks]

I use non-medicated feed and I also put ACV in their water. Hope that helps.

 

[speckledhen]

It's fine. I'd feed non-medicated if I could get it.

Meds in their feed only help build immunity to cocci, but do not guarantee they won't get cocci when they hit soil. Best way to deal with that is to give them outside dirt in the brooder from the first week of life. I make mine a dustbath with dirt from my property in the brooder in a shallow pan. They love it. Does the same as medicated feed to build immunity, actually better.

Chicks raised by a broody who get out with mama and have access to her poop (they peck at it and she has immunity already) never get cocci. I never have to treat broody-raised babies for coccidiosis.

 

[Sphinx]

Quote:
What do you do when it's the middle of winter, and the ground is frozen pretty solid?

Last time I raised chicks, I did just put yard dirt in the brooder, but there's snow all over and it's frozen outside. Recipe for a huge mess right now.