medicated feed - When to Stop

[Auscal]

I currently have my chicks on medicated chick starter - an plan to swap them over to grower (or starter/grower depending on availbality) at about 6-7 weeks when they go outside permanently (tey are currently outside for most of the day when it is warm enough). i will start with a medicated bag of grower, but, at sometime before 18 weeks or so (when I expect my red-sex links to start laying) i'll have to change to non-medicated. When can I expect my chicks to have enough immunity to be able to change over to non-medicated feed - I'd like it to be as soon as possible, but, not taking any risks.
TIA for comments

 

[mcfarmall]

My source tells me to feed the medicated stuff for 10 weeks, then off for a week and back on for 2 weeks. After that you can feed regular stuff.

 

[Arielle]

That's assuming the chickens have been out of the coop and are exposed to the soil for about 5 weeks.

I was concerned about this too so I PM'd Fred's Hens , so I'm repeating what he told me. They need the exposure to the cocci in the soil to develop the immunity; the medicated feed prevents the cocci from becoming a lethal threat to the chickens until their own immunity (5 weeks of exposure) can cope with what's naturally in the soil. (thanks Fed's Hens!)

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Yes, it is just a thiamine blocker that inhibits reporduction of cocci in the gut. They need to be exposed for the meds to be of any use.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Hmmmmm interesting to see oneself quoted.

Lots of folks never use medicated starter and have no issues. Others, have lost their flocks. Such things depend so much on one's tolerance for loss and risk management.

 

[Chris09]

It depends on what Med. is used weather or not it is a thiamine blocker.
Bovatec (lasalocid) is a coccidiocide that kills coccidia. It is an ionophore that moves potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium into the cell causing the cell to burst. Bovatec works primarily on a single developmental stage of coccidia, providing a more narrow range of action than Deccox.


Chris

 

[Auscal]

Quote:
Thanks for all the replies.

My little flock of 4 three weeks olds are currently spending about 7 hours a day outside on the grass & dirt (weather permitting). Is this sufficient exposure for them to be building an immunity?My current plan is when they go outside permanently at around 6-7 weeks of age, I'll keep them on medicated food for another 4 weeks to be safe, then switch to non-medicated. I know this is very conservation, but, as I only have four chickens my "tolerance for loss" is low...

The feed has "amp..." as its active ingredient, which I believe is a thiamine blocker, not a "coccidia killer".