To Medicate or Not to Medicate?

[Shadrach]

@Roley. Are you free ranging these chicks?

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Also, feed with amprolium added is fine for organic birds, as long as the feed is otherwise labelled organic. It's actually difficult to raise and keep 'organic' chickens, because everything that they eat must be certified organic, including all scraps, your yard, etc. And managing any external or internal parasites that they might get will not be easy at all.
It's good to have healthy birds who don't ever need any meds, but not always possible.
I also don't feed medicated chick starter, because it's worked for me here. Friends a mile down the road have had very bad parasite issues with their flock, and must use medicated chick starter, and then also deal with other intestinal worms later. So, it depends! The safest plan is to use medicated chick starter, rather than hoping for the best and treating sick birds later. I hope it continues to work for me!
Mary

 

[Roley]

@Roley. Are you free ranging these chicks?

I would love to! Not sure about all the do's and don'ts though, please feel free to share tips n tricks. I have one acre of land with no fencing is that large enough? My neighbor had chickens (only one of 7 left) with no fences, they managed to stay on their own side somehow. Now their only Chicken loves coming to visit us every day, all day. Hoping a fenceless yard will work for us as well.
Please advise.

 

[Roley]

Welcome! Also, feed with amprolium added is fine for organic birds, as long as the feed is otherwise labelled organic. It's actually difficult to raise and keep 'organic' chickens, because everything that they eat must be certified organic, including all scraps, your yard, etc. And managing any external or internal parasites that they might get will not be easy at all.
It's good to have healthy birds who don't ever need any meds, but not always possible.
I also don't feed medicated chick starter, because it's worked for me here. Friends a mile down the road have had very bad parasite issues with their flock, and must use medicated chick starter, and then also deal with other intestinal worms later. So, it depends! The safest plan is to use medicated chick starter, rather than hoping for the best and treating sick birds later. I hope it continues to work for me!
Mary

Great advise @Folly's place! Thanks. This is probably a silly question but how will you know if they have a parasite? Also, I have one chick who has had diarrhea from day one. At least its way more liquid than the others. Should I be concerned?

 

[Folly's place]

Intestinal parasites can happen over time, and it's possible to see some very occasionally, as with roundworms (look like vermicelli) or tapeworm segments (rice grains). Only having a fecal sample run at the veterinarian's will find their eggs though.
Many of us never have major issues with intestinal worms in our flocks, while others do.
Wild visiting sparrows and house wrens bring mites to my birds often, though. And once lice.
Mary

 

[Cindy in PA]

You can aldo feed nonmedicated organic & get a bottle of Ropa Organic oregano oil to put in their water everyday. It is made to mix with water & while expensive, it lasts a long time.

 

[cmom]

I start my chick out on the medicated starter feed with amprolium added but I too have had problems with coccidiosis here in the past. Amprolium helps the chicks to acquire a resistance to it. Usually their first 2/3 months of life are when they are most susceptible to cocci and it can kill the chicks. Medicated starter feed does not treat or cure coccidiosis, it helps the chicks build up a resistance to it. Good luck and have fun...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coccidiosis-how-to-treat-it.64386/

 

[casportpony]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coccidiosis-how-to-treat-it.64386/

While most of that article is pretty good, it has a bunch of misinformation, including dosing errors. .

 

[cmom]

While most of that article is pretty good, it has a bunch of misinformation, including dosing errors. .

Please enlighten us, what is the misinformation and correct dosage.

 

[casportpony]

Please enlighten us, what is the misinformation and correct dosage.

I can do that but will start a new thread rather than clutter up this one.