Should I be feeding Medicated Starter Feed or Non medicated Chick Crumb?

[Mamatomany123]

I
I used to insist on it for new biddies. But over the last year or so, I've been told that its outlawed now and I can't get it. I don't care what anyone else thinks, I've read all about the pros and cons. But I never lost a chick on it but now I can't get it so I don't. I'm in Texas.

Definitely not outlawed in Texas. I'm in texas and our local tractor supply sells medicated.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Someone told me if I start feeding medicated then I will always have to feed, ie, Medicated Growers etc. and so on forever.

Not true

Also they said that the Non Medicated was more beneficial for the chicks having better nutrients and vitamins etc.

Not true

Another question, should I be getting my little home flock vaccinated? What issues are they likely to come up against?

Vaccinated against what? Different hatcheries offer different vaccinations.

I've been told that its outlawed now and I can't get it

What medicine is in that medicated feed? Some medicines may be banned while others are not. Who outlawed it, your city, county, or state. Different jurisdictions can have different rules. Or did you talk to a feed store employee that did not know what they were talking about?

@Rosy Starling I'm going to copy something I wrote a few years back that might give you enough information to make an informed choice. Hope it helps.

First you need to know what the "medicated" is in the medicated feed. It should be on the label. Usually it is Amprolium, Amprol, some such product, but until you read the label, you really don't know. Most "medicated' feed from major brands for chicks that will be layers uses Amprolium, but there are a few out there mostly for broilers that use other medicines. I'll assume yours is an Amprolium product, but if it is not, then realize everything I say about it may not apply. And it is possible that the "medicated" is Amprolium AND something else.

Amprol is not an antibiotic. It does not kill anything. It inhibits the protozoa that cause coccidiosis (often called Cocci on this forum) from multiplying in the chicken's system. It does not prevent the protozoa from multiplying; it just slows that multiplication down. There are several different strains of protozoa that can cause Cocci, some more severe than others. Chickens can develop immunity to a specific strain of the protozoa, but that does not give them immunity to all protozoa that cause Cocci.

It is not a big deal for the chicken’s intestines to contain some of the protozoa that cause Cocci. The problem comes in when the number of those protozoa gets huge. The protozoa can multiply in the chicken’s intestines but also in wet manure. Different protozoa strains have different strengths, but for almost all cases, if you keep the brooder dry, you will not have a problem.

To develop immunity to a specific strain, that protozoa needs to be in the chicks intestines for two or three weeks. The normal sequence is that a chick has the protozoa. It poops and some of the cysts that develop the protozoa come out in the poop. If the poop is slightly damp, those cysts develop and will then develop in the chick's intestines when the chicks eat that poop. This cycle needs go on for a few weeks so all chicks are exposed and they are exposed long enough to develop immunity. A couple of important points here. You do need to watch them to see if they are getting sick. And the key is to keep the brooder dry yet allow some of the poop to stay damp. Not soaking wet, just barely damp. Wet poop can lead to serious problems.

What sometimes happens is that people keep chicks in a brooder and feed them medicated feed while they are in the brooder. Those chicks are never exposed to the Cocci protozoa that lives in the dirt in their run, so they never develop the immunity to it. Then, they are switched to non-medicated feed and put on the ground where they are for the first time exposed to the protozoa. They do not have immunity, they do not have the protection of the medicated feed, so they get sick. Feeding medicated feed while in the brooder was a complete waste.

I do not feed medicated feed. I keep the brooder dry to not allow the protozoa to breed uncontrollably. The third day that they are in the brooder, I take a scoop of dirt from the run and feed it to them so I can introduce the protozoa and they can develop the immunity they need to the strain they need to develop an immunity to. To provide a place for that slightly damp poop, I keep a square of plywood in the dry brooder and let the poop build up on that. I don't lose chicks to Cocci when they hit the ground.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding medicated feed to chicks, whether the protozoa are present or not. It will not hurt them. They can still develop the immunity they need. But unless the protozoa are present, it also does no good.

If you get your chicks vaccinated for Cocci, do not feed medicated feed. It can negate the vaccinations.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Only difference between medicated and non medicated is amprolium, in most cases. Should not be any other difference in nutrition level, etc. Check the tag on your bag to make sure.

I personally do not feed medicated, rather I raise the chicks outdoors and have them in full contact with the run floor so they'll hopefully build up immunity over time.

Also, I’m wondering if it would disqualify any chickens or eggs from being “organic.”

I've never seen a medicated organic feed, so if organic matters to you, make sure to buy a feed clearly marked organic.

 

[Bear1978]

Interesting thread. Glad I came across it actually. I do not feed mine medicated feed and they are almost 3 weeks old and in and inside brooder. I have never had chicks where I live. The coop is a playhouse I’m in the process of converting and the chicken run is just part of my back yard with grass still growing on it.
So with that being said, is the bacteria that causes this still in soil that has never had chickens on it? Should I switch prior to letting them out or just keep feeding them non medicated feed? I was under the assumption it was more necessary to have them on this if they are going out into an area already occupied with chickines? Sorry for all the questions. I’m a chicken n00b!

 

[rosemarythyme]

So with that being said, is the bacteria that causes this still in soil that has never had chickens on it? Should I switch prior to letting them out or just keep feeding them non medicated feed? I was under the assumption it was more necessary to have them on this if they are going out into an area already occupied with chickines? Sorry for all the questions. I’m a chicken n00b!

Yes, the bacteria can still be present. I dealt with coccidiosis with my first group of chicks, and there were not chickens living here before (at least not any time recent).

I personally would not bother switching feeds. I would keep Corid on hand (or know where you can get some immediately if needed), if you see symptoms and need to treat the birds.

 

[Bear1978]

Ok thanks!

 

[Bear1978]

can I get that from a vet I guess? The local TCS doesn’t have it on hand.
Also, could I dig up a handful of dirt from the yard and give it to them to munch on to help build
Their immunity up to it? They’re only 3 weeks old right now. Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

can I get that from a vet I guess? The local TCS doesn’t have it on hand.
Also, could I dig up a handful of dirt from the yard and give it to them to munch on to help build
Their immunity up to it? They’re only 3 weeks old right now. Thanks!

Not sure if a vet would have it, could try calling around I guess. I've seen it at all the local feed stores (TSC is a bit far from me).

You can try doing the dirt for immunity thing though I've not personally tried it that way.

 

[Bear1978]

ok thanks! But if I do decide to switch them to it I just start feeding them it in place of the nirmal
Chick starter feed I’ve been giving them right? Or at least that’s what I’ve read. There’s no need to mix feed to transition.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There’s no need to mix feed to transition.

I've never found a need to mix the feed when I switch from Starter to Grower or anything else. I have not had a problem going from crumble to pellets or the other way. Some people like to mix feeds but I never have. Mixing them will not hurt anything but I've never seen it as necessary.

Also, could I dig up a handful of dirt from the yard and give it to them to munch on to help build their immunity up to it?

If a strain of that bug is present this would help build their immunity to that strain. I don't know of any way to determine if that bug is present beforehand. It is more common in warm humid areas than it is in cool dry areas but you never know.