medicated feed or not

[CoyoteMagic]

Mine get one 25# bag of medicated starter between 20 chicks until the bag is gone. From then on it's Start&Grown or Flock Raiser

 

[WisconsinChick]

Actually I hatch all my own. Some of the chicks you ordered may die from stress. So dont assume it was sickness or disease first.

 

[ella]

Wisconsin Chick the medication in most chick feeds is Amprolium- it doesn't kill all the bacteria in the gut. It mimics thiamine, but unlike thiamine it can't be used by cocci to reproduce so it fills that niche in a chicks system. It doesn't kill cocci or anything else.

Talk about the ultimate upset stomach! The major damage with coccdiosis is due to the rapid multiplication of the parasite in the intestinal wall, and the subsequent rupture of the cells of the intestinal lining. That's what causes bloody diarrea and death.

 

[DaveMN]

the local Cooperative feed store carries both medicated and non medicated feed. because of the mud and wet dirt/clay we have here in the spring and the birds and other animals that are always around the farm, i buy one bag of feed to start them off. I generally only feed it for the first 6 weeks ( bag lasted that long) and then switch to a non-medicated starter grower. when i started this i stopped losing keets during the first month. i will have to see how it works for chicks.

Coccidia are a parasite

 

[CathyB]

When I got my chicks on Tuesday from the feed store I told them I need feed. They never asked medicated or not. They came out with medicated and put it in my car. So I do have medicated.

Now, if they are on medicated feed should you be supplementing yogurt? If so how much? Does adding yogurt require offering grit then?

 

[SeaChick]

Hi guys-
I have pertinent experience on this one.

I'm pretty obsessive about eating organically. I insisted that everything our chickens got was organic. Our last batch of chicks did just fine.

Yesterday we had a major emergency with a suddenly-sick 8-week-old chick. Spent the ENTIRE day tracking down a vet who would do a fecal test, getting the dx and the meds for her. I really did not think she would make it, she was that sick. These are PETS so of course we had to try to save her; if we were in a farm situation it would probably be different. anyway: the dx was coccidiosis. We'd done everything "right" (I thought): all good organic feed, very clean brooder, exposed them to dirt in the yard several times, etc. But the vet explained that a clean, dry brooder can actually exascerbate the problem. the organism is probably existing in the environment but never to a great enough extent to get the birds to build up immunity. We had one incident occur (they spilled their water two times on hot days last week and I didn't notice and clean up the litter for a few hours) that probably caused a big growth in the cocci population (they thrive in warm/damp) and that probably precipitated the event.

WE're treating the chicks with Sulmet and have been advised by all the vets we spoke with (including the poultry expert at the university) to feed medicated feed for a while, as well. In this case, I'm going to do it. And I will probably feed medicated feed to future chicks as well, for a couple months. it was just too scary seeing Lillith nearly dead like that, like I said they're pets. I am going to hope that the Amprolium in the feed is out of their systems by the time they start laying, and we start eating the eggs.... which just leaves my discomfort at supporting agricultural practices I don't agree with (as far as how the grains are grown in the non-organic feed). Also, yeah, it's probably better livestock management to let the birds w/o immunity succumb, but again, since they're pets, we just can't do it.

So there ya go. I went from insisting on organic only feed to recommending that you feed medicated for a while. Just my 2 cents.

Stacey

 

[the simple life]

Seachick, sorry that your poor Lilith was so sick, its hard to see our pets suffer.I am glad that she is doing better.I have been thinking of lining up a vet that will handle chickens now in case I ever need one.So I am going to do that today.My vet will not do livestock . So anyway, thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[the simple life]

I thought of another question regarding the medicated feed.I know Greyfields mentioned that you cannot give medicated feed and then market the chicken as antibiotic free, I am not raising them for meat but I am for eggs.Does that affect the label on organic eggs? Mine are just chicks right now so they won't be laying for a few more months yet.
Would it be out of their system by then and therefore not matter or once medicated thats it?

 

[ChickenToes]

Nonmedicated - I ordered 30 chicks about 4 weeks ago, and when they arrived I had 2 freebies. Out of 32 chicks, I only lost one, and I think it was due to stress rather than illness. Not to be harsh, but if I lose some birds, well that's just nature taking its course. I would rather have organic chickens than ones that have been pumped full of antibiotics and medication. How do you think they did it in the old days?

 

[ella]

In the old days chicks were raised by hens not in a brooder.

And NO chick is hatched with natural immunity to Coccidiosis.