Medicated Feed

[Ridgerunner]

I’d love to hatch my own once we are ready to add more! Our rooster was a bonus chick and is I think a barred rock. He’ll produce barred hens with my Australorps right? I’m not sure if that’s what I want or not lol

Yes, in that generation all the BR rooster over Australorp hens will be black barred.

 

[Criticalicious]

I've never used medicated feed or ACV, but I do Fermented Feed. This summer when I had a broody raising 3 babies I worried obsessively about them developing cocci because I had successfully treated it in my flock about 2 months prior. So I watched them carefully for bloody poop or signs of stress, and for a week or two I added a small dose of Corid to everyone's drinking water just to be safe. They are grown up now and doing fine.

I know many people use the medicated feed successfully but personally I don't, because it works by reducing available Vitamin B (thiamine), which baby chickens need for development. I can get the same effect with a prophylactic dose of Corid in the drinking water.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I know many people use the medicated feed successfully but personally I don't, because it works by reducing available Vitamin B (thiamine), which baby chickens need for development. I can get the same effect with a prophylactic dose of Corid in the drinking water.

Sorry but that is funny. The medicine in medicated feed that is a thiamine blocker is called Amprolium. The medicine in Corid is Amprolium. They are in different dosages but it's the same thing. Check the labels for active ingredients.

 

[Criticalicious]

Yes, I know Corid has the same active ingredient as medicated feed, but I can control the dose as opposed to finishing a 50 pound bag of feed.

 

[centrarchid]

I use the medicated feed to moderate infection until vulnerable chick's natural immunity has time to kick in. I assume the treated birds are being exposed to the cocci strain operating here. If birds not being exposed, then the amprolium lased feed provides no benefits. If the cocci starts to cause trouble, then the more strongly medicated water is used.

Preferred approach is to raise vulnerable chicks through about five weeks in a setting where feces does not tend to build up and chicks build up size and reserves to start acclimation to the cocci. Then chicks can go longer before cocci really gets them down. That is when birds are put on ground and they are not put back in a brooder. Birds showing health issues looking like coccidiodocis are marked for culling later. I will still step with medicated water to prevent losses and birds having a real problem will be put into a warmer, drier and more controlled environment until they recover. Most of even that latter group survive.