Medicated Chick Feed Question

[Happy Helper]

I have been feeding my chicks medicated feed since they were hatched on our farm and did not received inoculations. I have chicks that are 4 weeks old, another hatch that is 1 week old and will be having some hatch in about three weeks. I am finding that medicated feed is harder to find that just the regular chick feed. I am wondering if the unmedicated is really necessary to feed them. Does anyone have any feelings about this?

 

[azygous]

Not absolutely necessary. All the medicated feed is is a thiamine blocker, but in small quantities in order to give a small amount of protection to baby chicks as they develop resistance to coccidia. After the first two weeks, it's of little value as the immunity developing window closes soon after that.

An alternative, which I'm doing now with my chicks is to forego the medicated feed and dig up a grass and dirt clump and give it to the chicks to scratch in and to eat. The microbes attached to the sod will stimulate the immune response and the chicks will develop resistance to coccidia and other microbes. Best feature is it's free and the chicks adore playing with it and it relieves brooder boredom.

 

[Folly's place]

The amprolium in medicated chick starter is designed to help the chicks manage their exposure to coccidia in their coop and ground outside. So, do you need to feed it? It depends on the amount of the parasite actually in your environment. As a new chicken owner, you just don't have any way to know.
Some places will never have chicks sick and dying of coccidiosis, while other places will have major issues every year. So you will get different opinions on what's best to do, depending on individual results.
If you can't get the medicated feed with good mill dates, you will be feeding unmedicated, and it will probably be fine. Unless it isn't, and then you have to ID the actual problem, and treat if it is coccidiosis.
Not so helpful, sorry.
Mary

 

[Happy Helper]

It sounds as if I really don't need medicated feed since I have never had issues with sick chickens. The only way I loose them is when a predator gets them or the neighbor's dogs get out and come over. I just lost 6 laying hens from their last visit I may just keep with the medicated feed since I have another hatch coming and it sounds as if it can't hurt, Thanks for your thoughts, I also like the idea of a piece of sod in their area. They do have an area outside their coop with straw and dirt.

 

[khind]

The amprolium in medicated chick starter is designed to help the chicks manage their exposure to coccidia in their coop and ground outside. So, do you need to feed it? It depends on the amount of the parasite actually in your environment. As a new chicken owner, you just don't have any way to know.
Some places will never have chicks sick and dying of coccidiosis, while other places will have major issues every year. So you will get different opinions on what's best to do, depending on individual results.
If you can't get the medicated feed with good mill dates, you will be feeding unmedicated, and it will probably be fine. Unless it isn't, and then you have to ID the actual problem, and treat if it is coccidiosis.
Not so helpful, sorry.
Mary

And if a chick is eating medicated feed but still develops coccidiosis, if they get treated with Corid, I think they are supposed to stop the medicated feed till treatment is over? Or is having both products not an issue?

 

[khind]

Not absolutely necessary. All the medicated feed is is a thiamine blocker, but in small quantities in order to give a small amount of protection to baby chicks as they develop resistance to coccidia. After the first two weeks, it's of little value as the immunity developing window closes soon after that.

An alternative, which I'm doing now with my chicks is to forego the medicated feed and dig up a grass and dirt clump and give it to the chicks to scratch in and to eat. The microbes attached to the sod will stimulate the immune response and the chicks will develop resistance to coccidia and other microbes. Best feature is it's free and the chicks adore playing with it and it relieves brooder boredom.

My chicks, raised in a separate coop with a broody hen, ate non-medicated chick starter for about the first 5 days because the feed stores that were open were completely out, And then I started feeding them the medicated feed. They are now about 5 weeks old. I do wonder whether having started them on about day 5 has been a help at all or has been a waste. Goodness knows I had to grind that medicated feed up because the "crumbles" were so large that I ended up giving them mash almost every feeding, until a couple days ago! But they have been exposed to dirt with their mom in the run since day 2. She digs, they dig, and now they've been walking around with her outside for the past 2.5 weeks each day. So... maybe they've been getting unnecessary medicated feed. And even if it were OK then, it sounds like I might be able to stop the medicated feed now...?

 

[azygous]

You don't want to prolong feeding medicated feed due to the b-vitamin blocking action. It can lead to neurological issues caused by a thiamine deficiency. So, yes, I would discontinue it.

 

[khind]

You don't want to prolong feeding medicated feed due to the b-vitamin blocking action. It can lead to neurological issues caused by a thiamine deficiency. So, yes, I would discontinue it.

Wow! Thank you! This is good to know! The guidelines I've read have been 8 weeks, till the 18th week, and - just found this one - until a huge bag runs out.. Ugh!

 

[khind]

...and there's one source that I use that has proven to be reliable and well researched in a number of areas. But when it comes to medicated feed, it says nothing about how long to give it.

 

[GC-Raptor]

The guidelines I've read have been 8 weeks, till the 18th week, and - just found this one - until a huge bag runs out.. Ugh!

It depends. Manna Pro says 16 weeks.

Purina says till onset of production.

Nutrena Naturewise says till 16 weeks or onset of lay.

So 16 weeks or onset of lay is what these manufacturers say.
My first Flock 4 years ago, I fed till 16 weeks, then mixed with layers feed 50/50 till gone, about 3 more weeks.
After the first batch of chicks I read that Amprolium in feed is ineffective after 10 weeks.
My second Flock I fed about 12 weeks till bag was empty, then to Non-Medicated.
I'm on my 3rd batch of chicks "8 weeks old". I plan on feeding medicated for 10 weeks, then will switch to Non-Medicated Starter-Grower when bag is empty.

GC