Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[MaryJanet]

OK, Let's Revisit the Chicks & Medicated Feed vs Medication

First to put one misconception to bed. One in which I too was caught up.

After a feed review where I evaluated 11 different Medicated Chick feeds, there are NO non-pathogenic strains of coccidia in use. That is incorrect and I apologize for repeating that bad information. Let me say that again so it is clear.

THERE ARE NO FEEDS WITH NON-PATHOGENIC COCCIDIA

Of the 11 feeds I evaluated:

• 9 use Amprolium (Corid)
• 1 uses Monensin (Cobon)
• 1 claims that Diatomaceous Earth in the feed will kill coccidia

So what does this mean.

DO NOT USE MEDICATED FEED AND MEDICATION AT THE SAME TIME

Amprolium imitates Thiamine (vitamin b1) which is essential for Coccidia to grow. When Coccidia ingest Amprolium instead of Thiamine they experience Thiamine deficiency and starve from malnutrition. Your chicks also need Thiamine.

IMPORTANT: Because of this Amprolium has a very narrow margin for error. Overdosing can lead to hemorrhagic diathesis (spontaneous bleeding) and death.

DO NOT EVER TREAT CHICKS THAT ARE ON MEDICATED FEED WITH AMPROLIUM

The medicated feed is already dosed correctly for your chicks. The use of medicated feed alone is effective at the prevention of coccidiosis.

However, if you chicks are already showing symptoms of coccidiosis you should use a NON-MEDICATED feed and MEDICATE them. This will enable you to use a higher dose of Amprolium in order to get on top of the infection.

Treatment
So what is the prescribed treatment for coccidiosis?

The Poultry DVM recommends a therapeutic dose of 0.024% in water to reach therapeutic levels. If you are utilizing Corid 9.6% liquid solution, that would be 2 teaspoons per gallon of water. Treat for a minimum of 5 and up to 7 days. This must be their only source of water for those days. No rain puddles etc.

After the initial dose taper to 0.012% for another 5 to 7 days. That would be 1 teaspoon per gallon of water.

If you are going to use Medicated Feed at the end of the second treatment you can switch them to medicated feed and you should be fine.

If you are NOT going to use medicated feed, you need to switch to a final tapering dose of 0.006% for 7 days. That would be ½ teaspoon per gallon.

Storage

Chicks are not going to drink a lot of water. How long can I store this stuff? Any medicated water which the chicks have not consumed in 24 hours should be discarded. Prepared solutions may be stored in clean, closed, and labeled containers for up to 3 days at temperatures between 41°-77° F or 5°-25° C.

Ok, now I've read it for the second time, I've gone ahead and bookmarked this post. So grateful Bob.

 

[Marie2020]

Steak! I also give them canned tuna (but that’s been cooked and processed)View attachment 2721016

Tuna also has the tin cooked into it to because I believe it's added to the tin while still hot. A bit like the baked beans I like too much

 

[MaryJanet]

However MaryJanet is in Australia, and it could be completely different there… like I said I cannot obtain a medicated feed here, so I’m fairly certain that means that the ones available in Canada are also Amprolium laced or such…

I'll be checking this out carefully Kris.

 

[Marie2020]

I do. But mine are canned, not fresh/raw; I buy the ones without added salt.

I find it so confusing, we are told not to use the olive oil but the water in the can has salt in. If I resort to a tin fish I soak it in filtered water first.

 

[MaryJanet]

Ok… BBB update, apparently Little Dude was not tasty, and so far this pair have not developed a taste for chicken! The little bugger was hiding in a meat tractor and decided he’s had enough socializing today and made a break for the trailer. This is the downside to 61 nearly identical birds mingling Just happy he’s not become dinner prematurely

Cheeky rascal!

 

[MaryJanet]

A Memory from 2 Years Ago

View attachment 2721503

Oh wow! She's so relaxed! What a wonderful memory.

 

[MaryJanet]

In severe cases of coccidiosis sometimes an antibiotic will also be utilized as the intestinal lining can be susceptible to bacterial infection as well.

Enrofloxacin is a broad spectrum antibiotic also known as baytril here in the states. Antibiotics do not treat coccidia.

I hope that makes sense and explains what she was doing.

Yep, makes sense.

 

[Scrambles83]

A Memory from 2 Years Ago

View attachment 2721503

She was gorgeous

 

[BY Bob]

Ok, now I've read it for the second time, I've gone ahead and bookmarked this post. So grateful Bob.

I was glad to do it. I needed to make sure everyone had the correct knowledge for at least the US. I may make a run at Australian medicated feed if I get some time today.

 

[BY Bob]

She was gorgeous

She really was. And so fluffy.