New chicks not vaccinated, on non-medicated feed. Should I give Amprolium as a preventative?

[My Three Chicks]

I got 3 chicks from the local co-op Fri

They are from Hoovers and are vaccinated for Mareks. But NOT for Coccidia.

They are on a non-medicated starter feed (Scratch & Peck).

I was recommended by them to give them Amprolium as a preventative for Coccidia.

Should I? I want to give them the best chance at not catching Coccidiosis in the future.

If so, what's the dosage? How long and often?

 

[rosemarythyme]

IMO best way to help them build up resistance to coccidiosis is to expose them to the outdoors, you can bring in a clump of dirt and grass/weeds from their run area. If you want to give the Marek's vaccination to time to to work their system, wait a couple weeks before exposure to anything outdoors or that may have been in contact with other chickens (I find that impossible so my chicks go out immediately).

If you already have Corid keep it on hand, just in case, to treat a coccidiosis overload if it occurs.

 

[ThePoultryDoc]

I got 3 chicks from the local co-op Fri

They are from Hoovers and are vaccinated for Mareks. But NOT for Coccidia.

They are on a non-medicated starter feed (Scratch & Peck).

I was recommended by them to give them Amprolium as a preventative for Coccidia.

Should I? I want to give them the best chance at not catching Coccidiosis in the future.

If so, what's the dosage? How long and often?

If you have a small number of birds with plenty of space, the pressure from coccidiosis is typically low. Eimeria (coccidia) parasites are ubiquitous in poultry environments, and birds naturally develop and maintain immunity through low-level exposure over time. Coccidia vaccines provide this controlled exposure early, so that birds can develop immunity earlier.


Using anticoccidials like amprolium (Corid) can disrupt this immune development and potentially set the flock up for more serious problems later. If treatment is needed, short-duration, low-dose regimens are preferable—they allow controlled cycling of Eimeria, promoting immunity without causing significant disease (in this context, “disease” refers to mild, non-damaging exposure).

 

[Shadrach]

I was recommended by them to give them Amprolium as a preventative for Coccidia.

You can't prevent it. What you can do is build up a chicks resistance to it. It can be done by giving medicated feed. It can be done by exposing them to natural ground as soon after hatch as possible.
Problems usually arise if the chicks have been raised in an isolated broody coop and then let out on to natural ground.
One way of exposing them to the protozoa is to dig up a clod of earth from the ground they will be living on and put it in a tray in the broody coop, if that's what you have. If you sprinkle some chick feed in the tray the earth is in that will help the chicks ingest some of the dirt and that will help build up their resistance.
Save the amprolium until you've got a problem with coccidiosis.

 

[Chicalina]

Just switch to medicated feed.

Simple.