Will medicated chick starter really kill laying hens? Another ? in OP

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
I think that means that you need to get more quail.

 

[silkiechicken]

IF your medicated feed contains Amprolum, don't worry about it poisoning things other than cocci. It's a thamine blocker that can cause a thamine defficiency IF the food wasn't fortified with it when the meds are added. Now, if the feeds contain amprolum and another med, often a sulfa based one, THEN you worry about people alergic to sulfa drugs eating eggs.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
I wouldn't sweat it...I don't feed anything but layer feed at my house, day olds, teens and hens alike...absolutely never had any health problems. Everyone is huge, healthy and active. Just because it "can" happen doesn't necessarily mean it "will" happen....

 

[kimthom66]

IF your medicated feed contains Amprolum, don't worry about it poisoning things other than cocci. It's a thamine blocker that can cause a thamine defficiency IF the food wasn't fortified with it when the meds are added. Now, if the feeds contain amprolum and another med, often a sulfa based one, THEN you worry about people alergic to sulfa drugs eating eggs.

I have treated a flock of laying hens with Corid for an outbreak of cocci, at the same time I treated my young chicks with medicated feed. The older hens do like to eat the medicated feed when they can get to it and after treating with the Corid I am wondering how long before I can eat the eggs again?

 

[rrabideau]

My vet gave me corid for my laying hens and said it was fine to eat eggs even during treatment. It is amprolium which is what is in most medicated starter growers in smaller amounts. So assuming that is fine too?

 

[Chicks lover]

That's good to know , my Hen just have 8 baby chick's and I place both food in there Mom and chick's stared , so it won't hurt my Hen.
Thanks

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

We get our chicks from a hatchery, and we do not feed medicated feed. Haven't ever. Feed them non medicated chick starter till about 8 weeks. That was for bantams. You could probably feed it not so long with bigger chickens. At 8 weeks, I change them to all purpose crumble and cracked corn. I buy a bag of each, then mix it together when I feed. I will change to layer crumble when they start laying.

 

[azygous]

Layer food will kill baby chicks so I bet the peson giving the answer got confused with the two.

Well, we need to tell my nine-year old Brahma hen she's supposed to be dead then. She was one of my first chicks back when I started keeping chickens and before I joined BYC and became informed. She ate the stuff from age six weeks, and there's no indication she's suffered from it.

Of course, now I know better. The high calcium content may interfere with chick development and it's best not to feed it, but there certainly isn't a guarantee it will harm, let alone kill.

 

[lazy gardener]

My understanding is that the studies that pointed the accusing finger at layer feed and it's cause of renal damage to chicks was done on broiler chicks, which are already at high risk of all sorts of system failures.

 

[Kindpharm]

The title says it all.. I read this on yahoo answers but can't find anything else when googling that either supports or denies this statement.. the medicated chick starter will kill laying/adult hens.

I need to know.. I'm getting some chicks next week and plan on integrating them with my established flock as soon as they feather out..

eta to clarify: The babies will be in a small pen inside the coop under their lamp.. while unlikely.. food could possibly be spilled and scattered to the main coop floor... where the adult hens are.. So my worry was that, even though it is a remote possibility, medicated chick feed could pose an problem.
I won't use medicated after a month or so.. I don't usually use it but these chicks are hatchery (by mail) chicks and I don't want to risk my flocks or the new chicks.. so I thought I'd medicate them for a few weeks..

New Question: 9/25
So, my local feed stores offer limited choices..but one offers Grower's Pellets.. I assume this is a better choice than feeding layer pellets to a mixed flock (ages and genders).. Can Grower's Pellets be fed indef..? Or does it need to be stopped at a certain age? If I can't get Flock Raiser.. what are my options for a group of hens, mixed ages and a rooster.. if they all eat out of the same container and partitioning them off isn't an option?

Would mixing Grower's and Layer's pellets be a safe option? Or would they be ODing on the calcium too

Medicated feed will not kill your chickens. It is not organic per USDA standards but in my personal opinion, it is the best option in prevention of coccidias infecting and killing off your flock. It is your choice either way.

Grower feed is specific to growing meat birds and is not intended to be fed to laying hens, It would be best to not offer the grower to laying hens as it doesn't offer the calcium required for the hens and it is a higher protein content than layer feeds...

I do recognize my response is late.... but hopefully another persons search will find this helpful.