I am confused about medicated starter.

[Nsampsel]

Ok...what about a mixed flock??? I have ducks in my flock (currently all in the same coop) and was told they can't have antibiotics or the medicated feed.

Was this right?

I'm currently using Purina Flock Raiser (non-medicated) and have only used antibiotics in the water of my isolated chicks before they go into the coop for about a week or so.

Am I doing this right or should something be different?

So far I've only lost 2 Banties at the very beginning and I believe 1 was because it got wet & the other was probably from being handled too much/too roughly by my 5 yr old as it was his favorite chick.

 

[gryeyes]

It is "old" information that warns about medicated feed for ducks being bad. Nowadays the "medication" is no longer toxic to them.

I feed medicated feed to chicks, ducklings and goslings. I do add powdered Brewer's yeast to the ducklings' feed because they need more niacin than chicks.

For birds integrated into the flock, they all get Nutrena "All Flock" feed. I keep crushed oyster shell out free choice for the layers.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
I agree with Bee and another term other that Antimicrobial would be Coccidiostat.

:a chemical agent added to animal feed (as for poultry) that serves to retard the life cycle or reduce the population of pathogenic coccidia to the point that disease is minimized and the host develops immunity (merriam-webster)

 

[galanie]

I am just really glad that enough people agree to disagree and are civil enough even in disagreement to have the conversation that you and Bee just had, Chris09. Yeah, I was in there here and there but it was more you guys. Thank you both.

 

[Beekissed]

We both feel strongly about our husbandry methods and that comes through when we want to show people the basis of those feelings but I don't feel the need to ram it down anyone's throat and apparently neither does Chris...I think Chris and I have been in this conversation before, actually.

I like a civil discussion also...it's educational and feels like a debate amongst friends. We all have at least a few things in common here~we raise chickens and we enjoy sharing the benefit of that experience.

 

[coolcanoechic]

Thank goodness!

I just wanted to know how long to feed the medicated stuff. I had not anticipated such a debate. Thanks for being civil!
I have actually learned a lot!
Nancy

 

[gryeyes]

Thank goodness!

I just wanted to know how long to feed the medicated stuff.

At least three, if not four weeks after the chicks have been "on the ground," if at all possible. Don't use an artitrary time period that doesn't take into account the amount of time the chicks are exposed to the cocci. For example, I have a huge brooder made of a very large metal trough, and the weather was horrible a year ago in November. I didnt have thhe new accomodations rwady for them, so my chicks were ten or eleven weeks old before they went out into their grow-out coop and pen. Like an idiot, because I usually get them outside at six or eight weeks at the most, I changed over to regular feed when they were 8 weeks old. About a week after they were outside, a severe cocci outbreak killed 10 birds in two days. They didn't have the medication in 'em to help them build immunity. Over the following week, four more died, even with treatment. They can't build an immunity without exposure. The medicated feed helps them do this.

 

[Jeremymct]

I never use medicated food and might lose one or two chicks per 100 chicks, but it is likely that I would have lost them even on the medicated feed. Unless you are raising thousands of chicks I would not buy it. If you have kids and have taken them to the doctor in the recent years you have noticed the reduction in the use of antibiotics due to the developing "super bugs" The more we use medication the more the viruses will mutate to survive. a good quality, high protein starter will work just as well for you and you won't be creating the new bird flu. Most people raise chickens to provide organic eggs and meat free from as many hormones and chemicals as possible, yet we fall into the "commercialism" feed trap and end up giving them the same nasty crap to eat that the commercial farms do. Why, because some minimum wage TSC person tells you that you need it. I grew up on a dairy farm and have heard all the pitches on feed and my dad bought organic feed before it was the "in thing" to do. Our vet visited our farm the least of all the surrounding farms do the the health of our animals so what does that tell you about the feed companies "medicated" feed". Sorry for going off about it, but it is a bit of a sore subject for me. My mom is a nurse and her and I talk a lot about the over use of medications.

 

[WI FarmChick]

I never use medicated food and might lose one or two chicks per 100 chicks, but it is likely that I would have lost them even on the medicated feed. Unless you are raising thousands of chicks I would not buy it. If you have kids and have taken them to the doctor in the recent years you have noticed the reduction in the use of antibiotics due to the developing "super bugs" The more we use medication the more the viruses will mutate to survive. a good quality, high protein starter will work just as well for you and you won't be creating the new bird flu. Most people raise chickens to provide organic eggs and meat free from as many hormones and chemicals as possible, yet we fall into the "commercialism" feed trap and end up giving them the same nasty crap to eat that the commercial farms do. Why, because some minimum wage TSC person tells you that you need it. I grew up on a dairy farm and have heard all the pitches on feed and my dad bought organic feed before it was the "in thing" to do. Our vet visited our farm the least of all the surrounding farms do the the health of our animals so what does that tell you about the feed companies "medicated" feed". Sorry for going off about it, but it is a bit of a sore subject for me. My mom is a nurse and her and I talk a lot about the over use of medications.

I totally agree, I also do not feed medicated anything.

 

[Albanese07]

I totally agree we over medicate both children and Annimals in this country. But before these medications they would die. It may only be a handful that die but if it was your kid or annimal that would be unacceptable.
I'm feeding my 4 pullets medicated starter til he recommended 18 weeks per Purinas Start n Grow directions. I can't afford to loose even one. Then I'll switch to Purina Layena .