MEDICATED vs NON-MEDICATED

[ChickFlick99]

Hi!!! I have 14 chicks all around 12 weeks old. I started them out on Purina Start & Grow Medicated Feed and I want to know what the real difference is between Medicated Feed and Non- Medicated???? I have heard that there is barely a difference in the feeds and I have hears the complete opposite!! Any tips or ideas for me?? THANKS!!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Medicated feed most likely has Amprolium (a Thiamine blocker) in it. Non medicated feed does not have Amprolium. Coccidiosis is in all soils. There are conflicting opinions about using medicated feed vs. encouraging your chicks to develop natural immunity to coccidiosis. A healthy chick in a healthy environment is not very likely to become sick from exposure to the cocci. Do your homework, and make your own decision. No matter what you decide, you are likely to run into folks who will tell you that you should do it their way.

 

[aart]

Look closely on the label and see what medication is in the feed you are using.

Like lg said above, it is probably Amprolium (a Thiamine blocker) that helps chicks from getting overwhelmed by the coccidia protozoa by keeping their natural population in check until the chicks build immunity to it.

Exposing your chicks to the ground outside also helps them build immunity to the strains of cocci in your yard and flock.

 

[Chris09]

The only difference between Medicated and Non-Medicated Start and Grow is the use of Amprolium hydrochloride.
Amprolium hydrochloride can go by a number of other names and trade names including names like Amprolium, Amprolin, Corid, Amprovine, and Amprol just to name a few.

As for what Amprolium does, well Amprolium mimics Thiamin (Vitamin B1).
Thiamin is required by Coccida for growth and reproduction and since Amprolium mimics Thiamin coccidia ingests the Amprolium and then the coccidia experience a Thiamin deficiency then starve from malnutrition before reproducing in large numbers.

 

[antyler]

Thanks for the info. I have been pondering the same question.

 

[1muttsfan]

If you keep your birds in an area that has housed few birds in the past, they are less likely to be exposed to coccidia then if you keep your birds in a chicken coop and have a run that's housed chickens previously. Coccidia eggs are very stable and will last for quite a while in the environment. Young chicks are going to be much more susceptible and more likely to become ill from coccidia, especially in an environment where older birds have been kept.

Medicated feed does NOT contain an antibiotic. It does not eliminate the coccidia, it only controls the number and allows the birds to stay healthy until they can develop immunity to the parasite. As your birds get older and develop immunity, they can be weaned off of medicated feed.

 

[antyler]

If you keep your birds in an area that has housed few birds in the past, they are less likely to be exposed to coccidia then if you keep your birds in a chicken coop and have a run that's housed chickens previously. Coccidia eggs are very stable and will last for quite a while in the environment. Young chicks are going to be much more susceptible and more likely to become ill from coccidia, especially in an environment where older birds have been kept.

Medicated feed does NOT contain an antibiotic. It does not eliminate the coccidia, it only controls the number and allows the birds to stay healthy until they can develop immunity to the parasite. As your birds get older and develop immunity, they can be weaned off of medicated feed.

So would you say it is a good idea to use medicated feed for chicks with a broody hen who is in the coop with other chickens, and non-medicated feed would be okay for chicks in a brooder away from the flock.

 

[1muttsfan]

Many people do that, but you can carry parasite eggs on your clothes and on things like feeders. I have heard of people who keep chicks in separate brooders , and still have issues with coccidia. Since I am not concerned about health issues related to the feed, I just give it to all of my young chicks, rather than risk having chicks sicken and die.

 

[lazy gardener]

There is also the group of folks, myself included who adopt the approach of early exposure to barn yard conditions to boost the chick's natural immunity to the cocci they will be encountering in your yard. I do not use medicated feed, have never had issues with coccidiosis. Early on, I expose my chicks to my soil by giving them a nice chunk of sod while they are in the brooder. This gives them no end of entertainment, as well as giving them a healthy dose of bacteria to colonize their guts. I also give them fermented feed which is loaded with pro-biotics, as well as being easier for them to digest. There is at least one study out there which concludes that chicks have a decreased mortality rate and incidence of disease when raised on OLD litter from prior broods. Chicks have the highest anti-bodies within 2 weeks of hatch. That is the ideal time to be working on their natural immunity.

 

[antyler]

There is also the group of folks, myself included who adopt the approach of early exposure to barn yard conditions to boost the chick's natural immunity to the cocci they will be encountering in your yard. I do not use medicated feed, have never had issues with coccidiosis. Early on, I expose my chicks to my soil by giving them a nice chunk of sod while they are in the brooder. This gives them no end of entertainment, as well as giving them a healthy dose of bacteria to colonize their guts. I also give them fermented feed which is loaded with pro-biotics, as well as being easier for them to digest. There is at least one study out there which concludes that chicks have a decreased mortality rate and incidence of disease when raised on OLD litter from prior broods. Chicks have the highest anti-bodies within 2 weeks of hatch. That is the ideal time to be working on their natural immunity.

Sounds like there is support for both non-medicated and medicated feed. Personally I have never used the medicated feed, and was just thinking this year maybe I should be. Just wanted to hear some thoughts to see what others are doing. Since I have two pens and a separate brooder I may try both just to see if I get different results.