Raising chickens without meds

[Bokbok]

Has anyone ever raised their chickens without antibiotics or any other preventative medicines with success?

 

[apbgv]

I have never used medicated feed or anything as a preventative with my chicks and I have only ever lost 1 baby. I have lost a few adults to ???? various problems but never any chicks.

 

[PDJTP2006]

Ive hatched only 2 clutches of chicks and both times i used a broody hen(Buff Orp) and I never gave any of the chciks meds and they turned out fine. There parents were never on meds either

 

[Wes in Tx]

I do use medicated feed since I do have trouble with coccidia on my place. I have only treated one ill bird with anitbiotics and that was 4 years ago on a bird I bought from someone else. I have had a few die from various things such as busted egg inside, stroke, heat, and a few from broken necks. I have had dog attacks I had to treat with meds to stop infections but other than that I don't believe in using meds, I believe in breeding for resistance. In the lasyt 6 years I have raised over 300 birds.

It can be done but you have to be very selective. Personally if I have a birds get sick with say a respiratory infection I put the bird down as that is a sign of a weak bird and doesn't have a good immune system. Just the way I do things.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Quote:
Vaccines are prohibited for certified organic birds; however, parent
birds can be vaccinated, treated with antibiotics, etc. Certified
organic chicks must be raised organically from hatching. So if you
have day-old chicks shipped to you from a conventional hatchery, and
you follow all the various requirements, you can have them certified.

FYI--Purina has a Start and Grow that does not have medication in it

 

[rikd]

i have total of 7 bantam hens/pullets, fairly new to keeping chickens. currently feeding them constant supply of laying feed, with "treats" weekly of either cracked corn or a garlic, grape, carrot, small bit of scrabbled eggs, and main ingredient of either pumpkin seeds or squash seeds. there water is per treated in a gallon jug with pro Biotoics, apple cider vinegar, and one crushed garlic "peddle". now from all ive read all these foods are good for them and it seems that garlic, pumpkin seeds, and squash seeds will evict/prevent most if not all types of worms, and garlic also helps with lice and mites. i have other measures for mite and lice in place like a wood ash dust bath with delouser mixed in. so far no issues and they love the feed and seem to like when the garlic comes out of the water jug when it empties. any thoughts or tips...?? ty