medicated feed? antiboiotics?

[frstchknz]

I just got my first baby chicks a couple days ago from TSC. Knowing virtually Nothing I could only rely on the information that I was given by them. She gave me an antibiotic called Duramycin to put in the water. How long should I continue this? I've been reading posts on here about medicated chick starter, I've been using just regular chick starter. Should I be feeding something different? or is the antibiotic that I'm putting in their water doing the same thing?
I have them inside the house now in a container that is not going to be large enough for them in another few days. I had planned to section off an area of the shed that I'm going to use for a coop and give them more room to move around. I have 8 babies. How much of the shed should I give them? I have a heat lamp on them now that I had planned on moving out there with them.. I was hoping to do this all this weekend. Am I doing the right thing? putting them out in the shed in a restricted area with the heat lamp? they will be 6 days old tomorrow.
Any advice is appreciated.. Thank you.

 

[silkiechicken]

Stop the antibiotic. It is not necessary! That idea came from the time when penicillin was a miracle drug and people did not know how antibiotics worked. Giving it now is just going to make it worse off in the long run due to antibiotic resistance.

Med feed usually only contains a thiamine blocker to cocci to prevent reproduction of the PROTOZOA coccidiosis. Not the same as a antibiotic against bacteria. Med feed is good for those who live in areas where cocci is prevalent in the soil. Warm moist soil = ideal places for cocci oocysts to rest. They are everywhere but resistance building requires early exposure.

As long as they are where they can stay warm, they can go out. I brood outside.

 

[frstchknz]

I wondered about the antibiotic, since I hadn't seen any reference to it on here.
I live in Northeast Tennessee. Is that warm and damp? LOL... should I use the medicated feed?

 

[Sylvialarry]

I don't use medicated food. I found a really good chick starter from H & H Poultry. It does not have any soy or GMO in the ingredients.
I currently have 3 hens and will be getting 4 babies at the end of this month. I do not plan on feeding medicated food. They are getting the Marek's vaccination. Currently my girls are getting organic food.

 

[Noymira]

Quote:
I visited Nashville once in May it was 85 with high humidity, I was wilting.

I believe you live in an area that is warm and damp!

But I come from the frozen north, so any area where temps stay above 80 and the humidity above 60% for very long is warm and damp to me!

 

[silkiechicken]

By birds are in the PNW and it is cold and damp, so I do use medicated feed AND give them some dirt from the run to play in so they have something to become immune to. It is your choice to use it or not, and if you don't, having a bottle of amprol on hand to treat cocci would be a good idea. Once the birds reach a critical load of cocci parasites, they get lethargic, then often have boody poos, and can die within days if you don't start treatment right away.