Medicate Chick starter feed necessary?

[middlechick18]

We haven't vaccinated them for mareks or coccidiosis, but we want our chicks to be healthy as well as their eggs to be as pure as possible. We will feed them all organic after they get off starter feed, but do we need to use medicated feed? Our friends neither vaccinated or used medicated feed for their chickens and they have never had a problem, but they live on a farm and our chickens would be in an urban setting. Can we start them with organic chick starter? How many people have had problems in urban settings with chickens not vaccinated or medicated?

 

[middlechick18]

Also, for their food and water can we use bowls that we would clean often? We would put pebbles in the water to keep them from drowning.

 

[Folly's place]

The Marek's vaccine is always a good idea, because the disease is so awful and preventing the tumors it produces is worthwhile. Your environment might be clean, but you have no control over the neighbors if they have chickens, for example. Coccidiosis is in the soil, more in some places than others. The amprolium in the medicated chick starter helps the chicks to develop their natural immunity to an overwhelming infection from that parasite. It is also approved for official organic poultry production, so okay if you are going to feed organic. Your choice, and only in hindsite will you know. I've had chickens for a VERY LONG time, and always buy Marek's vaccinated chicks from the hatchery. I also have broody hens raising chicks here, and they are not vaccinated by me. So for no Marek's on my farm, but I'm also paranoid about biosecurity, have no near neighbors with chickens, and have been lucky. May it continue! On another note, feeding organic means feeding ONLY organic, including all snacks, treats, table scraps, and garden sprays or whatever. I'm not that motivated to be so rigid, myself. Mary