Medicated vs. Unmedicated Feed; Which do you use?

[Sk8inChick(en)]

I am quite curious to hear what people think about using medicated vs. unmedicated chick stater.

I'd love to hear what everyone has to say!

Thank you!

 

[centrarchid]

I use medicated only when needed. With one of my breeds strains that is when brooder reared chicks are moved to chicken tractor. With another it is only when a cocci outbreak is underway and that is usually associated with young brooder reared birds exposed to thier first rains. If used to often, local coccidia strain(s) will develope immunity. Even when used only as needed local coccidia will eventually develop immunity.

 

[Sk8inChick(en)]

I use medicated only when needed.  With one of my breeds strains that is when brooder reared chicks are moved to chicken tractor.  With another it is only when a cocci outbreak is underway and that is usually associated with young brooder reared birds exposed to thier first rains.  If used to often, local coccidia strain(s) will develope immunity.  Even when used only as needed local coccidia will eventually develop immunity.

That is quite interesting, I never thought about it that way.

I used medicated (Amprolium) , which I've just switched from at about 13 weeks, which sounds excessive, but I have to admit, I was a bit of a paranoid chicken parent. Ha ha.

If I were to raise chicks again, though I think I might go with unmedicated starter.

Thank you, that was very helpful, I shall file it away.

 

[Buckhunter76]

It's all preference

 

[centrarchid]

That is quite interesting, I never thought about it that way.
I used medicated (Amprolium) , which I've just switched from at about 13 weeks, which sounds excessive, but I have to admit, I was a bit of a paranoid chicken parent. Ha ha.
If I were to raise chicks again, though I think I might go with unmedicated starter.
Thank you, that was very helpful, I shall file it away.

If you are where cocci is abundant and / or working with highly susceptable birds, then you gotta be in on your toes. If coccu infection is evident, then be prepared to step in rapidly with treated feed and / or water.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I have used both and it doesn't matter much one way or the other to me. I use almost entirely medicated because neither of my feed dealers carry non-medicated regularly so it's a hassle to get it. With good brooder management and clean ground for birds fresh out of the brooder you can get away with non-medicated just fine.

That said however, for folks who are new to keeping poultry I highly recommend using medicated starter feed. Coccidiosis can be a major disaster if you don't recognize the early symptoms and have not yet learned good brooder management. If your ground is at all fowl-sick (as in has had a lot of birds on it for a long time) it can also help to deter an outbreak. If you have a serious coccidia problem however you may need to take further steps.

 

[Chris09]

I use medicated feed and lately I have been using a feed medicated with both Amprolium (corid) and BMD (Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate).
The thing with Amprolium is that it is mimics thiamine (B1) which is need for coccidia to live and grow, there might be a very small margin that you will have a few coccidia that survives by eating enough real thiamine but I believe that to be very far and few between. Remember you killing the Coccidia by malnutrition and not by a "drug" so the coccidia are starving to death and it is real hard to grow a immunity to starvation.

Chris

 

[Contrary]

... With good brooder management and clean ground for birds fresh out of the brooder you can get away with non-medicated just fine. ...
... If your ground is at all fowl-sick (as in has had a lot of birds on it for a long time) it [medicated feed] can also help to deter an outbreak. If you have a serious coccidia problem however you may need to take further steps. ...

People ask me a lot why I move my coops to fresh pasture every week or so, and never double to the same ground back during the same year. This is one reason why.

Have never used medicated feed myself. I keep the brooders and coops for my 400 layers and pullets clean, and the pastures fresh.

 

[Chris09]

People ask me a lot why I move my coops to fresh pasture every week or so, and never double to the same ground back during the same year. This is one reason why.

Have never used medicated feed myself. I keep the brooders and coops for my 400 layers and pullets clean, and the pastures fresh.

Also keep in mind that a person is in a area where it is warm and wet most of the summer is then more prone to getting coccidia in there fowl no matter how clean the yard or run is. Bird fly over head and most of those birds carry coccidia.

I breed, raise and show poultry, I keep my pens clean and dry but I still take persuasions.


Chris

 

[A.T. Hagan]

This is true. Last year was the only time in my years of keeping poultry that I've ever had a coccidiosis outbreak and it happened in a grow-out pen of young turkeys on clean ground. But it was mid-June (as in like now) here in Florida so it was hot and had rained every day for fourteen days straight. NOTHING was dry and you could all but cut the air with a knife. Unlike chick starter where it is hard to find anything but medicated around here with gamebird starter it took me some time to find one that was medicated. Put them on it that day and it cleared right up.

Were it not two dollars a bag more than my usual brand and a slow mover for that feed dealer so occasionally gone off once the rainy season starts here I'd probably use it all the time. Up until a few days ago we were in a repeat of last year for raining every day and being hot and muggy so I put them back on the medicated starter for a couple of weeks. I move their tractor every day, but when the ground never dries out and the pen is full of birds it can get nasty by the time I move it in the evening.

Sure does make the grass grow like crazy though. In fact they can't eat it fast enough so now I need to get in there and mow.