Medicated food for dual purpose chicks

[NatJ]

We will be getting buckeye chicks here soon and I am conflicted on whether they need medicated food or not. We are ordering from Tractor Supply and when I spoke with a worker on the phone I was told they are unvaccinated. Since they will be egg and meat birds I saw they need a higher protein feed, I was going to go with 20%. All of the medicated feed I found is only 18% though. So my question is, do we need the medicated or the higher protein? If we go with non medicated I read that we could add First Peep, a natural chicken supplement for digestion. Not sure which option is best. First time (soon to be) chicken owner and there is sooooooo much conflicting information.

If you want the medication while feeding the higher protein feed:
buy Corid and put it in their water at the "preventative" dose (directions on the package).

It will have the same effect.
Corid is amprolium (medicine to prevent coccidiosis)
Medicated chick feed in the USA has amprolium (same medicine to prevent coccidiosis.)

Or you can buy the Corid and put it on a shelf in case you need it, but not bother adding it to their water unless you see an actual problem. If you do see a problem, use the dose for treatment (higher than the preventative dose.)

 

[aart]

A vaccine for coccidiosis does exist, and is available for chicks bought from some hatcheries in the USA.

Always good to ask what any 'vaccinations' actually are.

Or you can buy the Corid and put it on a shelf in case you need it, but not bother adding it to their water unless you see an actual problem.

I did that, thinks it's still on the shelf 10 years later.

 

[NatJ]

I did that, thinks it's still on the shelf 10 years later.

By now you must be pretty confident that your chick-raising methods work just fine to avoid coccidiosis without needing to use Corid But I'm guessing it reassured you at the beginning, that you had the Corid there in case you needed it.

(I've never actually needed to use Corid either.)