Medicated or non medicated?

[Silvey17]

I advise you to use medicated chick starter. It includes a lot of medication that will protect your chicks from diseases. I have never heard of medicated feed for mature chickens.

 

[MeepBeep]

I advise you to use medicated chick starter. It includes a lot of medication that will protect your chicks from diseases. I have never heard of medicated feed for mature chickens.

In the US medicated chick stater contains Amprolium and it only protects against cocci nothing else...

http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/medicated-chick-starter-facts/

 

[kdolly87]

In the US medicated chick stater contains Amprolium and it only protects against cocci nothing else...

http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/medicated-chick-starter-facts/

.

Very good to know

 

[enola]

I advise you to use medicated chick starter. It includes a lot of medication that will protect your chicks from diseases. I have never heard of medicated feed for mature chickens.

The only medication in "medicated" feed is amprolium. Amprolium only treats one disease - coccidia.


Meepbeep types faster than me!!

 

[Chris09]

Medicated Feed can have a number of products in it and Corid (Amprolium) is just one of them...

Examples ----

Starter feeds generally either Amprolium or Lasalocid as a active ingredient.

Amprolium - which goes by the trade names Corid and Amprovine, Amprolium, Amprol, Anticoccid and is a thiamine analog, competitively inhibits the active transport of thiamine (B1) by doing so it starves the coccidia. Amprolium is used in the prevention and treatment of coccidiosis.

Lasalocid - goes by the trade name Bovatec. 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.

Some growers contain Bacitracin as a active ingredient.

Bacitracin - Bacitracin can also go by the names Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate and BMD. Bacitracin in Broiler And Replacement Chickens is an aid in prevention and control of necrotic enteritis caused by Clostridium perfringens susceptible to bacitracin methylene disalicylate.

 

[lazy gardener]

Chris, I've never seen medicated feed at my feed stores that contains anything other than Amprolium. Buyer beware. Read your labels. I'll stick to natural means, enhance my flock's immune systems, and allow them to develop immunity to the organisms in my own soil in the time frame that they were intended to do so. There is no right or wrong way to raise chicks: Medicated feed vs. non-medicated. Just make an informed decision which is right for your situation and your comfort level.

 

[HandsomeRyan]

i cut a piece of sod, flip it over and put it directly in the brooder. I've read that the chick's antibodies are highest in the first 2 weeks of life. In a natural broody situation, Mama broody would have those babies scratching around in the barnyard within several days of hatching. They'd also ingest some of her feces, which would also help with their immunity. There have been studies done which show that chicks brooded on litter which has had previous broods on it, or litter from the coop have healthier immune systems, much higher survival rates. And, yes, Meep Beep, I can assure you that my chicks do have cocci in their guts, as most likely all birds do, as well as a lot of animals. But a healthy immune system keeps the flora in the gut balanced so the bad guys don't outnumber the good guys. There is no one right or wrong way to raise chicks, the important thing is to make informed decisions.

Got links?

 

[matt44644]

Chris, I've never seen medicated feed at my feed stores that contains anything other than Amprolium. Buyer beware. Read your labels. I'll stick to natural means, enhance my flock's immune systems, and allow them to develop immunity to the organisms in my own soil in the time frame that they were intended to do so. There is no right or wrong way to raise chicks: Medicated feed vs. non-medicated. Just make an informed decision which is right for your situation and your comfort level.

Here is one that just posted
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/945529/game-bird-startina-bmd-50-for-coturnix-quail#post_14581243

 

[lazy gardener]

I quote page 59, last paragraph of The Small Scale Poultry Flock by Harvey Ussery: (Ohio Station, 1946) "During a 3 year period when the floor litter was removed and renewed at frequent intervals, the average mortality of 10 broods, or a total of 18,000 chicks was 19%. During the succeeding 3 years with the use of built-up litter, the average mortality of 11 broods, or a total of 10,000 chicks was 7%. Seldom did a brood escape an attack of coccidiosis before the use of built up litter. Afterward there was no noticeable trouble from coccidiosis in 11 consecutive broods started and raised on the same old built-up floor litter. Old built-up litter is floor litter which has been used by two previous broods of chicks." You may say that this study was done years ago, but that does not negate the results, nor does that negate the continued experience of folks who continue to use deep litter, and allow natural immunity to develop.

Regarding passive immunity from hen to chick: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/focus/contents/ceva/OnlineBulletins/ob_2008/Article-No18-May08.pdf

There is plenty of literature out there, available to anyone who cares to do the research.

 

[Madviolin]

Medicated feed has Amprolium, which is a thiamine blocker. It blocks uptake of thiamine in the coccidiosis organism, so it can't replicate. It also blocks thiamine uptake in the chick. Coccidiosis is in the environment everywhere. My preference is to NEVER give my chicks medicated feed. In my area, that often means buying multi-flock raiser, because I can't buy unmedicated chick starter. The feed store employees will spend a lot of wasted time telling me that my chicks will all die if they don't get medicated feed. I've never had a chick with coccidiosis. They all start with fermented feed, and are exposed to the soil organisms within the first few days of life, so they develop a healthy gut and a natural immunity to the coccidiosis that is common to my soil.

Very true i have NEVER fed medicated feed and NONE of my chicks have ever died from coccidiosis. I like to feed my chickens as naturally as i can and the company (Highland Naturals) we get our feed from for our layers and broilers (meat birds) dosnt even offer medicated feed. I used to do fermented food for a while but decided it was to much of a pain and i didn't have chickens drop dead after word from coccidiosis so i wasn't worried. On my show birds however i do use a fermented feed for the first month and a half of life.