Why can't I obtain Sulmet?

[Elite Silkies]

Thanks guys! I will check the % to make sure it's the right one. Does it have a shelf life?

 

[ninejw]

I bought some Sulmet powder last year at Tractor supply and treated my roo that had bloody stool. They only had 2 packs at the time so I bought them both because I also had a hard time finding it even back then. It is a year later and they have never restocked the supply. Maybe they are selling our antibiotics overseas or something like all the good building supplies/wood. It seems kind of fishy.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Then it would be an issue everywhere...and it is not. Your feed store or their supplier have chosen to not continue stocking it for whagtever reason. Complain to them, and find another source; start calling all the feed stores in your area. Sulmet is easily available online, so that is another alternative.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Okay, scratch my statement. I did a bit of googling and it is related to company buyouts and mergers. Ft Dodge, Sulmet's manufacturer is owned by Wyeth. However this past October Wyeth was acquired/bought out by Pfizer. As a part of the deal, the manufacturing rights for many animal vaccines and medicines were sold to Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica. Sulmet is one of these meds. Presumably it will continue being manufactured (otherwise, why would it have been included in the package?), but there may be a new name and/or manufacturing delays.

 

[horsejody]

I bought some at Tractor Supply, but it had a different name. I don't remember what it was. I printed out the active ingredient/chemical name info for Sulmet and compared it to the package I bought. It was the same.

 

[ninejw]

Well, that's good to know why it's currently not available. Pfizer is over by where I work. Well, hopefully they will start stocking it again. It's sure taking a long time. I picked up some corrid from a pigeon site to have on hand but I haven't had any more cocci issues. Just roundworm now. yucky. I got a microscope which I've been wanting for Xmas so I can stare at chicken poop magnified!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Sonoran Silkies is correct. I also did some digging & finally learned the story behind the Sulmet shortage. I first went here: http://www.fortdodgelivestock.com/contact.htm and called the contact number. I learned that Fort Dodge was bought by/merged with Pfizer who didn't pick up all of their products, Sulmet being one of them. Sulmet is now going to be made by Boehringer. I talked with a very nice rep named Joe there at 1-877-711-5045 who said that Sulmet should be back on the shelves in a month or so.

I am currently treating a pen of young chickens with Corid but may go ahead & keep about a quart of the gallon jug of Sulmet that I bought, and share the rest with members of my local chicken club. I know that there are still local stores and other online sources that still have Sulmet available. And it's reassuring to know that we need not stockpile Sulmet, like Classic Coke or big sacks of 5% Sevin Dust, fearing it will never be sold again.

You may want to give Boehringer a call to let them know you are a buyer of Sulmet and look forward to its continued availability.

I thank all of you for your help in this issue. BYCers are the best!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Hmmm, I can still get 5% sevin--but fewer places carry it

The Ace Hardware store a couple of miles away has it in a fairly large bag.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Here you can't get 5% Sevin in those big bags, what were they, like 5 or 10 pounds? You can still get 10% Sevin in that size, or 5% Sevin in the expensive 3 pound shaker cans. I know they're trying to discourage the use of Sevin to protect the honey bees, but this makes little sense. One of those things that I wish I had known before they disappeared from the shelves.