to all the people with dying chicks

[kjd_aag_sad]

I bought some starter medicated feed at a farm and fleet and right after I started feeding it my one month olds got sick and died within 24 hours...My 2 month old started getting watery stool....I just got the results of my feed test back...It is missing the drug Amprolium...I also live in Iowa not far away from one of the major places that is having the eggs recalled...They feed their chicks medicated feed from the same place I get mine until they are laying eggs, and the vet and other people that I got my new feed from who knows LOT about chickens all agree it is a bad batch of feed from the farm and fleet that is missing Amprolium.....Of course the farm fleet won't do anything about it.....but that is the last time I get food there

 

[rungirl]

Amprolium is put into starter feed to protect against coccidiosis, not salmonella. Salmonella is what the Iowa chicken houses are dealing with. Are you saying that you think you chickens got coccidiosis? Usually they have bloody stools with that bacteria, but yeah, sounds like you could have had a bad bag of feed. Did it smell or look bad when you opened it?

 

[Brahma Mamma]

Wow. Sorry about your chicks! We feed our chicks non-medicated feed and haven't had any health problems, except for a batch of RIR's that came down with Cocci. At the time they were on medicated feed. We've tried the fresh grass natural immunization approach and that works great. The grass and bugs provide natural immunity boosts to the birds. We moved them in chicken tractors every day until they got big enough and then put them in a portable coop that is surrounded by a movable electric fence (we have a LOT of hens). I am amazed at how disease free our 400+ young birds have been and have to credit it to the pastured poultry plan (Joe Salatin). Just a thought on the effectiveness of medicated feed. Again, so sorry for your loss!

 

[kjd_aag_sad]

Yes, I had cocci...First time ever....The way it was explained to me that if the chickens have cocci while laying the eggs it makes the eggs bad....The guy that lives near me says all the eggs recalled are from his new chicks that were still on medicated starter feed while they were just starting to lay.....I don't agree with it, I start mine on layer feed at 19 weeks until the bag is gone they they are organic, but he keeps them on med starter until they are laying well.....usually about 23-24 weeks

 

[kjd_aag_sad]

Our feed is kept in a container outside, so we didn't really notice anything when we opened it....After they started dying we smelled it and it smelled awful....that is why we had it tested....

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Most likely mycotoxins from moldy feed. VERY deadly. It's not the lack of amprolium that is the problem, it is the toxins. I don't know whether the feed was bad when purchased or got wet and moldy during improper storage at your home; If you are sure it was bad when purchased, return to the store and insist that they check their inventory for similar bags of moldy feed. You need to thoroughly sanitize and dry the storage container before even considering using it to store feed again.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Sounds like you have been getting a fair amount of inaccurate advice. I recommend getting Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens.

Coccidiosis is a protozoan illness that can be deadly to the bird. Aprollium is a coccidiostat--it keeps coccidia at a low level, allowing the bird to build up its immunity. Some types of coccidia are more deadly than others--the ones that cause bloody stools are deadliest. Not all types cause bloody stools, but all seriously affect the bird's health. Due to lack of immunity, coccidiosis is often considered a disease that only affects chicks; while it is true that chicks are at most risk, it can affect any bird at any age.

A bird with high levels of coccidia is unlikely to be laying. I've never read whether the coccidia can make it into the egg, but I would not use an egg laid by an ill chicken in any case.