Medicated chick feed in compost pile

[chickbea]

I don't normally worry about these things, but a friend has insisted I'm poisoning myself, so I'll ask you guys what you think!----
Since I'm raising babies in Vermont in the middle of winter, I'm using medicated chick starter rather than plain. Obviously, some of it falls into the litter and then gets taken out to be composted when I clean. To be honest, I know nothing about what the medication's residual effects might be, if any. I've never been particularly careful about what goes into my pile - if it's biodegradable, in it goes!
I know opinions vary; some people won't use products from any critters that have been medicated. What do you all think?

 

[jimnjay]

From what I have read, Amprol is a drug that inhibits the growth of protoza. It is not an antibiotic and there is no evidence that it will hurt humans. Amprol is the ingredient in the medicated feed I buy. I have fed it to my layers in a pinch and I eat the eggs. I doubt with the small amount that goes into a compost pile and with the leaching effect and natural action of a compost pile, I doubt that you are poisining anything at all. JMHO

 

[bigzio]

I think it is the last of your worries. Your chicks will benefit and be healthy and i think it is a wise choice to use it.

Horror stories likes bloody poo because your peeps have cocci are avoided with the precaution you have taken. Don't worry be happy because you did good.

bigzio

 

[MTchick]

If anything, I'd be concerned for the health of your compost. Protozoa, worms, etc are crucial to proper decomposing and you'd be lightly poisoning them with the remnant feed.

That said, if you've been doing it for a while and not had any odor or other yuckiness problems with your compost I think your friend is overreacting. The compost decomposes, then you put it in the garden, then the plants process it into nutrients, then you eat the plants. Way, way too many hoops for those little poisons to jump through. And most of it probably leaches out or degrades while it is in the compost anyway.

-MTchick

 

[bigzio]

I assure you that medicated feed is not poison in any form whatsoever and to think like that is silly to say the least. Even in the compost heap!

bigzio

 

[V Chic Chick]

There used to be someone on here that fed her laying hens medicated chick starter, and ate the eggs and she was fine, so really I doubt that given how diluted it would be by the time it gets to your table, you will actually injest any.

 

[chickbea]

Thanks for the info! I was never that worried myself - I'll tell my friend to relax. If she's that worried, no more free veggies for her!

 

[SandraChick]

So I went and found the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for amprol (link belwo).....remember this sheet is for full strength amprol (not diluted into feed).

Basically- don't burn it and inhale, don't spill a bunch in the waterway as it's water soluble, but then it says it's not toxic to aquatic organisms....If you ingest some full strength- drink water and induce vomiting...that's it.

I wouldn't be worried.....



http://www.asp-inc.com/products/documents/prodinfo/a/ampplusmsd.pdf

Sandra

 

[oztrich]

My question is similar to the one posed in the above posts, but not quite.
I've had my 6 babies for 3 days now.

I have to use alot of chick starter feed (medicated) because my babies are so small they can't reach in the feeder. I'm very aware of the cleanliness aspect of raising these babies and since some of them poop in the feeder, I want to clean it out every day and replace with new food. I feel I'm wasting an incredible amount of feed. I'm wanting to put the old poopy feed (probably a little less than 2 cups) in the compost pile.

In this concentration, daily - for however long it takes before they can reach the feed better and I don't have to use as much, do you think it will be detrimental to the compost....or the people who eat the veggies grown in the soil amended by this compost? I see from the above posts, there are opposing opinions....that's great. I just need a little more input to sway me one way or the other.

Also, my dogs like to eat the fish pellets when I feed my fish. Just a few. Will this medicated feed, just enough to make the dogs think they are not neglected, hurt them in any way? Thanks for the info! I've learned so much by joining BYC.

 

[silkiechicken]

I also would not worry. Even if I put a whole 100 lbs into the compost bin I doubt it will have much effect. It is a thamine blocker that works in the intestines of the birds to prevent cocci from reproducing at amazing rates which can make them sick. What is the concentration of the drug? .05% if I remember right? If you purify the enzymes in your own saliva it could be deadly.

As for cleanliness's... do keep things clean, but you don't have to make things "sparkling clean." A little chickie poo in the feeder won't hurt them, but if it's ALOT, do change it. I mean, they eat things off the floor all the time.

I don't give medicated feeds to my broody's chicks and they have yet to grow up and have cocci... however, I did medicate feed some brooder raised chicks and within a few weeks of being on the open soil, they got cocci. It's all about building up the immune system and us doing the best to both protect them from over load and yet letting them grow up with exposure.

Why did we have to invent the polio vaccine? Because hand washing was encouraged and the natural immunity from mothers to their children were no longer passed. However... I still think hand washing with non antibacterial soap in hot water is VERY important as it prevents the spread of many other things...