MEDICATED Starter Grower till...?

[Cryss]

Raising pullets 2 at a time I now have 6. The first 2 will be a year old October 1st. The last 2 are now laying.
I have been feeding them the Medicated Starter Grower from Purina with a side dish of oyster shell. I am not sure if I'm going to get more chooks before winter. If I do I would continue with this feed. If not I have considered changing to the Non-Medicated variety.
My question is the Medicated bad for older birds? Is there an age they should stop eating the medicated mix? I do not plan on feeding layer mix because of possibly adding new young birds. I just add the side dish of oyster shell.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I never feed my flock medicated feed. They have always eaten Flock Raiser or grower with oyster shell in another container. You can switch anytime now. Best wishes with your flock! Have FUN!!!!

 

[Crs1]

I have a flock of 50 from chick to hen and pullet in the middle.
I feed gamebird 22% with oyster shell mixed with egg shell on the side

 

[Cryss]

I admit I hadn't planned to feed medicated feed at all even to my 5 week old newbies. When I went to my local feed store the guy there said "Why wouldn't you want to give your young ones a good start?" Being brand new at this that scared me so that's what I've been feeding. I also added vitamins to the water for quite a while, stooped that a few months ago. I read somewhere (maybe The Chicken Chick?) That medicated shouldn't be fed during molt. My gals aren't molting yet but now I'm concerned, hence my question.

 

[Folly's place]

Chick feed with amprolium added is meant for chicks until they've been on the ground for two or three weeks, so they can cope with a possible overload of coccidia without becoming ill. Otherwise it's not needed. Some land and flocks will have real problems with dead and sick chicks because of coccidiosis unless it is fed; other places and flocks won't have this problem.
I've been fortunate to not need the medicated chick feed here, but that doesn't mean that you would have been safe without it!
Anyway, it sounds like you won't need it now.
My flock gets Flock Raiser all year, with oyster shell on the side, for the laying hens. It's easy; one feed for everyone!
Always check the mill date on each bag of feed that you buy, so you can use it up within eight weeks of milling. Fresh is best!
Mary

 

[Cryss]

Chick feed with amprolium added is meant for chicks until they've been on the ground for two or three weeks, so they can cope with a possible overload of coccidia without becoming ill. Otherwise it's not needed. Some land and flocks will have real problems with dead and sick chicks because of coccidiosis unless it is fed; other places and flocks won't have this problem.
I've been fortunate to not need the medicated chick feed here, but that doesn't mean that you would have been safe without it!
Anyway, it sounds like you won't need it now.
My flock gets Flock Raiser all year, with oyster shell on the side, for the laying hens. It's easy; one feed for everyone!
Always check the mill date on each bag of feed that you buy, so you can use it up within eight weeks of milling. Fresh is best!
Mary

So if I get new 5-7ish week old pullets will I need to start medicated feed again? They all come from the same breeder.

 

[Folly's place]

Maybe, and maybe not. You can feed medicated to the new chicks while they are on your ground, and separated by fencing from your other birds, during the introductory period. Then let them eat unmedicated when they mingle with your older birds, in two weeks or so. Or, try without medicated, and be ready to treat coccidiosis if it appears.
Mary

 

[Cryss]

Ok, I'm thinking stick with medicated. At least whenever I have new littles. Well, I'll use non medicated after I finidh off the bag of medicated I just bought. I'm still wondering if what I read was right and that medicated is bad for molting chickens. I've also read they shoildnt have medicated after 6 weeks old. Also read if they have been vaccinated dont feed medicated. I'm so confused because I've been feeding it since November!

 

[Folly's place]

Marek's vaccinated chicks aren't involved in the amprolium story at all. Chicks 'vaccinated' with small doses of coccidia are another story. One meal of amprolium added chick starter will kill those coccidia, and end whatever good that product does for them.
I do have my hatchery chicks vaccinated against Marek's disease, and don't do the coccidiosis 'vaccine'.
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

When I went to my local feed store the guy there said "Why wouldn't you want to give your young ones a good start?" Being brand new at this that scared me so that's what I've been feeding.

That sounds like a good sales pitch. Yes I've had to treat for coccidiosis before. Still haven't fed medicated.

IF your chicks have been vaccinated against it, medicated feed kills it, so if your chicks are vaccinated you need to know what the vaccine was for. Your feed store or hatchery should be able to answer that for you.

I don't believe medicated feed has any benefits for birds over 10 weeks or so? By that point they should have built up whatever immunity they'd need against it. I would not feed it over an extended period of time but then again I feed organic.