Medicated or non medicated starter Q's

[gjoyner]

Ive kept my 5 week old chicks on non medicated starter(as I was directed) and they seem great..although they ahve been inside as of yesterday. A lady told me that I NEED medicated starter until they are 4-5 months old or they could get some disease that starts with a "C"..now Im all freaked out and dont want them to die! But everyone told me to not use medicated starter! Am I supposed to be giving them shots or somthing instead? What do I do now? Please help!

 

[kagedgoddess]

theyre not gonna die. the medicted feed has meds that Build immunity to coccidosis (sic?) the feed we sell at my co-op anyways is recommended UNTill 5 Weeks, then they say switch to grower rations. it seems to me to be a personal choice if you only have a few chickens

 

[gjoyner]

what do you mean? Yes to medication for the first few months or no?

 

[annek]

yes I would put them on medicated feed, it gives them a start on resistance to coccidia. Look for one that contains Amprolium, like Purina's. It is not an antibiotic and can do nothing but help. The only time you wouldn't do that is if your chick was vaccinated against it. Here is a link that talks about it and tells you a little more in easy to understand language.

http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/page7.htm

 

[Chick_a_dee]

I don't believe you can vaccinate against coccidia, it is prevelant in the system of all dogs, chickens, etc in minimal amounts that are inactive until a stress prompts it to react and start destroying your animal from the inside out.

 

[dyanbuffa]

I wondered about this medicated or non medicated issue too. I didn't know about it when I got my 12 bantams(a wild mix of different kinds) and 2 silkies. Then I went with friends to get their chicks and they both got medicated feed. My chicks are now 2 months old. Is it to late to feed them medicated? They all seem very healthy and happy.

 

[kagedgoddess]

what i was saying and i m sorry if i was confusing, (the kids sometimes distract me) my store recommends you give medicated feed untill 5-7wks old, then switch to grower ration, which is non medicated. my store makes its own feed though, at 18 wks, or whenever she lays her first egg, switch to laying feed. the tsc bag of NON medicated says to feed it to them untill they lay. everything can carry cocci, BUT chickens cant catch dog cocci etc. chickens can only catch chicken cocci.
since you chickens are already 5 wks, my stores medicated feed wouldnt be for your birds. look at the package of feed your giving them, talke to the ppl who sell you your feed, and dont worry too much about it. Lots of ppl feed theyre chicks non-medicated feed. i feed mine medicated, and will untill i run out i only have 6 and theyre 5wks. the medication is supposed to gradually build up immunity to cocci. so i view it as like a vaccine. i do not know though if you feed them medicated feed now if they will still build up immunity. i cant imagine why it wouldnt and at 4-5 mos, your chickens shouldnt be on chick starter, they should be close to or already laying then.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

With the first set of girls we had, I fed Starter/Grower to some unknown point (probably 2 months, but I can't remember) and then Grower until we collected the first egg, then Layer. With this batch, the girls will be on the starter/grower until the meat chicks are slaughtered and then switch to grower because they are on the same food right now.