Medicated water instead of medicated starter?

[Michael Apple]

Over the years I have become more repelled by GMO feed and went organic. Some organic feeds were refused by my birds, but once I found the right one, they eat well with little waste. I plan on raising chicks again this year and know there's no such thing as an organic starter with Corid/Amprol added. I was considering using Corid in the water at 4 weeks old for 5 days, then 3 weeks later using Sulfadimethoxine 3 days only, then repeating the process every three weeks until they are 6 months old. This way I could feed this great quality organic starter I like. Has anyone used medicated water this way instead of in feed? I know some folks claim to use no Coccidiostats at all, but in my past experiences Cocci had to be dealt with. The reason I didn't just mention Amprolium is because some of the several strains of Cocci won't be eliminated by Amprol. The only way I stopped an outbreak once was with Sulfadimethoxine.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I am lumped into that crowd that doesn't medicate at all, but if you've had to deal with cocci in the past its provably best to medicate. I'm not sure I'd use Corid to medicate the water though. I'm pretty sure the Corid is for treatment and the medicated feed (Amprolium) is for prevention. I've heard pretty horrible things about starters containing Amprolium, so can't blame you for not wanting to use it. I'd be worried about everyone getting proper doses by going the treated water route, some birds drink alot more than others. Hopefully someone with a little more knowledge will come along. In fact, this thread may be better suited for the Emergencies section...
Nikki

 

[Michael Apple]

I am lumped into that crowd that doesn't medicate at all, but if you've had to deal with cocci in the past its provably best to medicate. I'm not sure I'd use Corid to medicate the water though. I'm pretty sure the Corid is for treatment and the medicated feed (Amprolium) is for prevention. I've heard pretty horrible things about starters containing Amprolium, so can't blame you for not wanting to use it. I'd be worried about everyone getting proper doses by going the treated water route, some birds drink alot more than others. Hopefully someone with a little more knowledge will come along. In fact, this thread may be better suited for the Emergencies section...
Nikki

Corid has recommendations by weight for treating cocci as well as using it as a preventative 21 day treatment. Where Sulfadimethoxine is the easiest of all sulfa antibiotics on the chickens system, it could still cause permanent damage if not dosed correctly. An avian vet told me about Sulmet and how hard that is on birds compared to Sulfadimethoxine. Everything I've read confirms this, as well as a bad strain of cocci I dealt with once where Sulfadimethoxine wiped it out in a couple days.

I was thinking of getting their digestive flora strong for the first 3.5 weeks with Vitamins-Electrolytes Plus (has probiotics in it) 2 days a week, and at between 3 and 4 weeks of age, run the Corid .25 oz per 1.5 gallons water for 5 days only. Wait 3 weeks while continuing with Vitamins-Electrolytes Plus a few times a week and run Sulfadimethoxine powder at .50 tsp. per gallon for three days only. Then repeat the process. This was a system Mike Strecker used in The Back Yard Flock. He claims to use it up until his birds are 7-9 months of age. Seems an awful long time to me. That's why I was curious as to what system more seasoned poultry men/women use and what their results have been. I thought about posting this in the emergencies section, but I thought since the subject applies to chick raising, this section would be more appropriate.

 

[Michael Apple]

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[Michael Apple]

I found some interesting facts about coccidia. The egg like "oocysts" that spread coccidiosis are harmless if eaten by the birds right away. It is when they sporulate that they infect the chick that eats them. Sporulation takes several days. If the infested manure is removed before then, the cycle of infection is broken. I'm still debating myself between using medicated feed or a regiment of Amprol in the water starting at 3 weeks.