how does Amprolium in medicated feed effect a chick

[Scotty from BI]

Can someone please explain how a chick given medicated feed which blocks thiamine for up to 16 weeks not be effected negatively? This vitamin is used for brain and growth development and is important (if I understand correctly) for full health.

As an example in history we learned that sailers out at sea deprived of citrus fruit developed scurvy due to lack of vitamin C. There are many diseases which occur from lack of certain vitamins or combinations of known nutrients. In some cases the diseases caused by improper nutrition are not reversible, (again, if my understanding is correct).

Does lack of adequate levels of thiamine change the development of young chicks in the most formative growth period of their lives?

 

[junebuggena]

It's a very low dosage. Just enough to provide a bit of support to very young chicks. It's not enough to block thiamine absorption completely. And it's not enough to have an impact on development or growth.

 

[Scotty from BI]

Okay, that makes sense, so the starter feed with medication is "a complete" feed? Could one give them medicated feed after they finished their time in the brooder and were about to be released into the world at say 6 or 8 weeks?

 

[junebuggena]

You can give it to them at any time and at any age. I like to give the immune system a chance to develop resistance to coccidia before they ever leave the brooder. In the brooder, you can control the environment better and it's easier to spot a potential problem and treat promptly. A chunk of sod in the brooder goes a long way towards helping those chicks develop and stay healthy. Regardless of feed choice, it's smart to have Corid, or something similar on hand to treat an outbreak, just in case.
My soil is loaded with coccidia due to the wet, rainy Pacific Northwest climate. I've never had an issue with the chickens and coccidia, but I do have a problem with it affecting my pastured rabbits once weaned.
It's not something to be super stressed out over. Feed your chicks which ever feed you want. Have something on hand to treat if they get sick.
Broody raised chicks, drinking water from a muddy puddle. No coccidia issues with them at all. And have never had medicated feed. Just the bit of immunity from their yolk is all it takes to protect them and enable their systems to develop their own resistance.

 

[angela33]

It's a very low dosage. Just enough to provide a bit of support to very young chicks. It's not enough to block thiamine absorption completely. And it's not enough to have an impact on development or growth.

It seems to me that more Amprolium has been added to chick starter of late. I've had three young birds this season down with vitamin deficiency symptoms . Two needed to be euthanised. With more information under my belt, I'm working on the third with tentative hope. Besides meticulous husbandry, I'm only providing medicated starter twice a week. I'm also adding multi vitamins to their water from hatch. At the first sign of coccidiosis, they all get Cocciprol in their water. If it's diagnosed quickly, it disappears as quickly. Three days of Cocciprol then back to routine. Ps. If they actually have cocci. halt vitamins supplements immediately. The cocci feeds on B2 thiamine.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It seems to me that more Amprolium has been added to chick starter of late. I've had three young birds this season down with vitamin deficiency symptoms . Two needed to be euthanised. With more information under my belt, I'm working on the third with tentative hope. Besides meticulous husbandry, I'm only providing medicated starter twice a week. I'm also adding multi vitamins to their water from hatch.

I'd flip the approach - don't feed medicated feed at all. Only treat for coccidiosis if there's an issue. Expose the chicks to outside conditions sooner rather than later (either by brooding outside, or bringing the outside in via clumps of run soil and grass) will help the birds to naturally build up immunity instead.

Sporadic medicated starter use only serves to build up resistance to amprolium, as you're exposing the parasite to doses too small to be fully effective and thus allowing surviving parasites to reproduce and pass on the resistance.