Medicated feed long term?

[Edenfield93]

Hello,

So I have a quick question, I picked up some feed today for my quail and chickens and I didn’t realize until I got home what they loaded in my vehicle was medicated feed. My quail are nearing that 8 week mark and should be laying eggs soon, my main question is, will this medicated feed mean their eggs won’t be safe for consumption? It’s a 50lb bag and I only have 12 quail so it can last A WHILE. Should I try to return it and see if they have non medicated or will this be ok for them until it’s gone? It’s kalmbach pheasant starter 28% protein. I’ve seen plenty of people say leaving them on starter and a higher protein even after they start laying is fine, the medicated part is what’s making me nervous.

https://www.kalmbachfeeds.com/products/wild-flush-starter-medicated

 

[Nabiki]

I would return it and get non medicated feed. It seems that a lot of people medicate just to medicate, and it can cause issues. That doesn't mean that they will absolutely develop problems, but it's best to medicate only if they actually have a condition that requires medication.

Depending on the age of your birds, you may want to start transitioning to something in the 22-24% protein range for your adults. They should be on adult feed by around 12 weeks.

 

[CliftonQuail]

The medication in it appears to be Amprolium. This is what I found at this link for that drug:
https://poultrydvm.com/drugs/amprolium

Amprolium is a common anticoccidial medication used in the treatment and prevention of coccidiosis in chickens and turkeys. In the United States, it is one of the few medications approved by the FDA for use in egg laying hens. There is no withdrawal period. Amprolium works by mimicking thiamine (Vitamin B1), which is what cocci require to grow and reproduce inside the chicken. When cocci ingest amprolium, they experience thiamin deficiency and starve from malnutrition. This is why it's important not to administer Vitamin B1 to chickens who are concurrently being treated with amprolium. Important: Amprolium has a very narrow margin for error and overdoses can lead to hemorrhagic diathesis and death. Should not be given to chickens concurrently with any B Vitamins.

See more at: https://poultrydvm.com/drugs/amprolium

That said, I prefer not to medicate my birds even with "FDA approved" products. Every commercial that begins with "If you, or a loved one, was harmed by" drug XYZ is referencing a drug that was also once FDA approved. I would return the feed and ask for a non-medicated product.

 

[Susan Skylark]

It’s approved for egg laying hens and has no withdrawal period meaning it doesn’t get into the eggs, but there’s no point in feeding medicated feed to something when you aren’t treating something specific. Nobody knows what the long term effects of amprolium are in quail and it may not be effective against quail coccidia. I’d take it back and get some layer feed with 20 percent protein. I switched from starter to layer feed at 6 weeks and we’re now at 8 weeks and getting 10-12 eggs a day from 14 hens. If you had them on a 30 percent protein starter they develop fast and start laying consistently at 6 weeks so need the higher calcium with a relatively high protein (compared to chickens).