Medicated versus Nonmedicated starter feed? Looking for feedback pls.

[randyandmegs]

As a lot of you have read about my recent problems of dying chicks, I have exhausted all of everyones ideas with no change. Im thinking now maybe its the feed. I feed a high quality 28% gamebird starter grower. I did switch to nonmedicated but that has been about 5 hatches ago when i was not having problems. For the last 4 years I had fed a medicated Sporting Bird Started put out by Southern States. I always worried me that on the label it said " feed as a sole ration to Chukkars up to ? weeks in age" it was medicated but I cant remember the type. It was expensive so I looked for alternatives. I found this other feed that came in medicated and non medicated. I tried nonmedicated and my birds seems to grow out much healthier and faster. Maybe that is where I went wrong and now I do have a disease problem that is only affecting the chicks and not the larger birds in the pen beside of them. What are your suggestions on medicated versus non-medicated and do you think that could be my problem?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

That's all we use is the medicated 28% from S/S for our quail & turkeys. Once the quail get to laying age we feed a 16% layer that we get from a local feed mill to our breeders.

Steve

 

[Plain_View_Farm]

Quote:
Steve?
I thought Quail should not have medicated feed.....
I had read somewhere there is a possibility of it making them sterile.
I suppose if you are hatching quail eggs yours are not sterile but have you ever heard of that?

David

 

[monarc23]

there will always be arguments over to use medicated feed or nonmedicated feed. I personally think to medicate a bird for no reason is just too much on the bird (any bird). I've never had ill quail...and never had ill chickens and all have been on nonmedicated game bird/chicken feed.

To the original poster... your chicks could be dieing from a disease that they had before they were even hatched, transferred from teh parent birds...i forget the name of the one but the survival rate is almost zero...some dont even hatch because of it.

Some, like Steve use medicated feed and don't have any issues in doing so.....some again use very low protien amounts and dont have any issues and get great eggs. Others feed medicated feed and note issues with their quails, others feed low protien and see a drop in egg production or growth.

My buddy in Europe uses low protien and his birds are healthy as horses and lay well, I use higher protien and suppliment with more protien sources and my birds are also healthy as horses and lay daily sometimes I get double yolkers AND some hens lay twice a day instead of once...doesnt happen often but when it does it's deffinatly neat

Just like there are debates about what is the best temp and humidity at hatching, theres also the feed and protien issue

 

[tiki244]

Sorry to hear about your problems. I use nonmedicated feed for chicks and put ACV in their water and a vitamin supplement 2-3 X a week for the first two months.

Other people I know use Oxine in their water and have very good results.

 

[randyandmegs]

I will soon have the solution. I spoke with the manager (or maybe owner) of the feed mill. He suggested I send the birds to our local North Carolina Dept of Agriculture Veterinary Diagnostic Lab. It is only 25 miles from me and I never knew it. I called them and for $30.00 they will take up to 8 birds do a post mortem and even test live but sick birds and find out what is causing them to die. I will update when I find out what is going on. Maybe this brand of feed is too large for them. It appears to be smaller than what I thought the SS brand was but who knows. Im sure going to start grinding them up but that brings up another question...... how or what do I use???? I will have between 700-1500 birds.

THANKS TO ALL FOR THE SUPPORT AND SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!

 

[Munchies]

Suggest you purchase a burr mill.

Such as the one pictured below...

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
hey niki we briefly covered the encephalitis thing in the origal post.

RANDY IF MEDS ARE NEEDED I'VE FOUND THAT THE GAMEBIRDS--- QUAIL, CHUKAR, AND PHEASANT RESPOND BEST TO LINCOMYCIN THAT IS GIVEN IN THE WATER.... HOPEFULLY YOUR NECROPSY WILL PROVIDE THE ANSWER. IF IT IS AN INFECTIOUS PROBLEM NUKE EVERYTHING--- FOOD/ WATER DELIVERY SYSTEMS, BROODER, GROUND, ETC WITH A STRONG BLEACH WATER SOLUTION A TIME OR TWO AND THE BEST PLACE I HAVE FOUND TO GET THE LINCOMYCIN IS CUTLER SUPPLY. GOOD LUCK!

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Steve?
I thought Quail should not have medicated feed.....
I had read somewhere there is a possibility of it making them sterile.
I suppose if you are hatching quail eggs yours are not sterile but have you ever heard of that?

David

I have never heard of medicated feed making them sterile. We aren't having any fertility issues.

Steve

 

[Judy]

Wow, that's quite a pic from Steve!

I wonder if the root of this is similar to the debate about duck food. Near as I can figure out, the old arsenic compound they used to put in feed (and still do in some commercial chicken feed) is what affected ducks, but now that it is usualy amprolium, maybe the problem is resolved for both.

Just a guess. I've never owned quail or ducks. Yet.