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I totally agree with both of you. As I said in the initial post, I only ever fed the medicated feed the week before and week of hitting the ground. So basically 2-maybe 3 weeks until the feed runs out. For my meaties that was 1-3 weeks of age and for my layers it is 4-6 weeks of age. That is way low for the number of birds that I raise in comparison to other large scale producers. Since I never had a problem until I did not follow that regimen, I know that I was doing the right thing. In wanting to remove all medication from my birds, I learned the hard way that I must stick to the original plan.
The medication in medicated feed is not an antibiotic contrary to popular belief. It is a thiamine inhibitor, causes no resistance and has no withdraw period. Plus the amount in the feed is so small that all it really does is help build immunities against coccidosis.
I never had to give full blown medication to my birds until recently. The group is now healthy and being that we have 3-4 more weeks before they start to lay and a few more weeks before the eggs are sellable, there should be no trace of Corid to be found.
I admit that I have actually had to give antibiotics to a bird for the first time ever as well. I have 2 adorable 13 week EEs that have been in the house now for about 2 weeks. I have done everything. Electrolytes, probiotics, more Corid, tube feeding. Man have I learned so much! I am not about to lose them darn it! So after all of these things, one of the EEs was still just not rebounding to eat on her own. So frustrating! 2 weeks! So, I gave her Amoxicillin in her tube feeding last night. The full 250 mg caplet darn it. I mean what do I have to lose? She is going to die if I can't figure out her problem and get her eating and drinking again.
This morning, she was alert and eating and drinking on her own!! I am skeptical that dose could possibly be that effective but she ate and drank all day. Her crop is currently full and it will be the first time without tube feeding in a long time! She is not recovered by any means but to see her eat on her own nearly brings me to tears. I now have more Amoxicillin in her water but at the first sign of an empty crop and no eating, she gets another tube fed dose.
I always isolate a sick bird and try everything I can to save her. My poor husband. We both get attached and to be honest, we have lost more than we've saved. Now that we learned how to tube feed, I will be quicker with that and Amoxicillin. Maybe I will save more and maybe I won't but at least I tried and I learn along the way. Most large scale chicken producers would just cull and move on. I look at this business two ways though. Part of it is that these girls are my investment and each loss costs me money. The other part is that they rely on me and if I raise them healthy, they give me the most amazing gifts every day. I don't know how their bodies do it and I am in awe of them. I feel that I owe them a good, safe, healthy and happy life. We could never just cull them if there was a chance they could be saved.
I know it's sappy but I don't care. I love my girls!
The medication in medicated feed is not an antibiotic contrary to popular belief. It is a thiamine inhibitor, causes no resistance and has no withdraw period. Plus the amount in the feed is so small that all it really does is help build immunities against coccidosis.
I never had to give full blown medication to my birds until recently. The group is now healthy and being that we have 3-4 more weeks before they start to lay and a few more weeks before the eggs are sellable, there should be no trace of Corid to be found.
I admit that I have actually had to give antibiotics to a bird for the first time ever as well. I have 2 adorable 13 week EEs that have been in the house now for about 2 weeks. I have done everything. Electrolytes, probiotics, more Corid, tube feeding. Man have I learned so much! I am not about to lose them darn it! So after all of these things, one of the EEs was still just not rebounding to eat on her own. So frustrating! 2 weeks! So, I gave her Amoxicillin in her tube feeding last night. The full 250 mg caplet darn it. I mean what do I have to lose? She is going to die if I can't figure out her problem and get her eating and drinking again.
This morning, she was alert and eating and drinking on her own!! I am skeptical that dose could possibly be that effective but she ate and drank all day. Her crop is currently full and it will be the first time without tube feeding in a long time! She is not recovered by any means but to see her eat on her own nearly brings me to tears. I now have more Amoxicillin in her water but at the first sign of an empty crop and no eating, she gets another tube fed dose.
I always isolate a sick bird and try everything I can to save her. My poor husband. We both get attached and to be honest, we have lost more than we've saved. Now that we learned how to tube feed, I will be quicker with that and Amoxicillin. Maybe I will save more and maybe I won't but at least I tried and I learn along the way. Most large scale chicken producers would just cull and move on. I look at this business two ways though. Part of it is that these girls are my investment and each loss costs me money. The other part is that they rely on me and if I raise them healthy, they give me the most amazing gifts every day. I don't know how their bodies do it and I am in awe of them. I feel that I owe them a good, safe, healthy and happy life. We could never just cull them if there was a chance they could be saved.
I know it's sappy but I don't care. I love my girls!
Such is life though. Everything is a learning experience.
