How long is medicated feed in their systems?

[gritsar]

One of my hens starting laying on Wednesday, one day shy of 19 weeks old (so much for brahmas maturing slower). The chickens were still on medicated grower at the time. We switched them to layer pellets the next day.
My question is how long would it take for the medicatied feed to be out of their systems? We plan to eat the eggs asap, they look yummy. I know some would scoff at my fear of a little tiny bit of antibiotic, but I am seriously ill right now with kidney trouble and on long-term antibiotics while the drs. try to figure out what's wrong with my kidney. I don't want to do anything to interfere with that.
Thanks

 

[keljonma]

Here is my understanding of medicated feed.

The feed is medicated for coccidiosis. Coccidiosis normally affects young birds 1-5 months.

Coccidia is the parasite that causes coccidiosis and it is a protozoan, not a bacteria so antibiotics will not help prevent or clear up a case of coccidiosis.

A coccidiostat is a drug that will block thiamin in the bird's system. Thiamin is what the protozoan, coccidia, thrives on. As they multiply in the birds' intestines they rob the birds of all of the nutrients the birds need to grow and to stay healthy. Amprolium is a coccidiostat.

I am not sure how long the Amprolium stays in their system. To be on the safe side, you could cook the pullet eggs for the rest of your family or your pets.

I suggest you discuss this issue with your medical team, as they will know your health history better than your friends on BYC.

We changed from medicated start/grow to the (non-medicated) layer feed when our flock was 16 weeks old. Some of our flock started laying at 20 weeks. We do not worm or chemically treat our flock.

My sister is a kidney transplant patient (1982). She is one of my egg customers.

I would be interested in hearing what your medical team says.

 

[Beekissed]

Medicated chicken feeds

Poultry feeds are available with several types of medications for preventing or treating diseases. Coccidiostats and/or antibiotics are the two most common medications added to feeds.

Coccidiosis is hard to control by sanitation practices alone. It is best prevented by feeding a coccidiostat, which is a drug added to feed at low levels and fed continuously to prevent coccidiosis. Feed broilers a ration containing a coccidiostat until the last week before slaughtering. Feed an unmedicated feed during this last week.

Mature chickens develop a resistance to coccidiosis if allowed to contract a mild infection of the disease. Birds raised for placement in the laying flocks are fed a coccidiostat feed until about 16 weeks of age. The medicated feed is then replaced with a nonmedicated feed. Spotty outbreaks of the disease can be controlled by treating in the water with an appropriate coccidiostat. Examples of coccidiostats added to the ration include Monensin sodium, Lasalocid, Amprolium, and Salinomycin.

Antibiotics may also be added to some poultry feeds. Antibiotics aid broiler performance and maintain healthy birds. They are usually added at low (prophylactic) levels to prevent minor diseases and produce faster, more efficient growth. Higher (therapeutic) levels are usually given in water or injected into the bird. Examples of antibiotics fed in the feed are Penicillin, Bacitracin, Chlortetracycline, and Oxytetracycline.

Follow the recommended medication withdrawal periods before eating meat or eggs from the treated birds. Follow all warning instructions listed on the feed label.

http://msucares.com/poultry/feeds/poultry_medications.html

This quote and link are from a website at MSU Forestry and Ag Dept.

I would ask very specific questions when buying and feeding medicated feeds. For anyone with a compromised immune system, repeated exposure to low levels of broad spectrum antibiotics can make them immune to the effects of the very med they may need to help fight an infection one day.​

 

[pkeeler]

With meat birds, they recommend coming off the medicated feed for one week before eating. I would think the same time period would be good for eggs too.

 

[gritsar]

I used the term antibiotic incorrectly. I know that the Amprolium in medicated chick starter/grower is not an antibiotic. In fact I have educated a few people who mistakingly thought that their chicks being on the medicated feed protected them from poultry diseases like Marek's.
I guess I'm just being paranoid, but I've been on antibiotics almost non-stop since the beginning of the year and believe me I'm seriously tired of em.
Thanks for the replies.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
I second this understanding.

If and only IF you medicated feed only has Amprolium, there is no withdrawl time and you should be safe. At worse if you ate the feed itself for extended periods of time, you might end up with a slight thiamine deficiency, which to my understanding is counteracted by the addition of thiamine into feeds with amprolium.

If it contains sulfa based meds, then do wait 7-10 days as some are allergic to it.