Yet another question regarding medicated chick starter

[Auscal]

I have 6 1/2 week old chicks that have been eating medicated (amprol...) starter mash. They have spent their days for the past three weeks free-ranging out on my front yard (mainly grass, some dirt), inside in their brooder at night. In a week or so they are being banished to their coop permanently (I can't take any more poop on the porch LOL). The coop run is entirely dirt. I'm wondering about changing their food to a non-medicated starter/grower crumble in a day or two. Is is to early to take them off the medicated food. I would prefer not to over- medicate, yet prefer not to switch over until their own immunity has had a chance to develop. If it's relevant, we do have a big population of local wild quail. Their curretn food os about finished, and I'm decided whether to get another 25lb (which would be maybe a months supply0 or change them over. I do have a preference for changing them from mash to crumbles.

TIA for all comments, and opinions.

 

[DickGJ]

Most advice I've read is once you've treated with one bag of medicated...switch to regular. I have 12 chicks almost 7 weeks old and am about to finish off the 25 lb bag of medicated starter. I'm switching to Purina Flock raiser (20% protein) until 18 weeks when I make the decision to switch to either a layer feed or keep up with the Flock Raiser and supplement with Oyster Shell bits for calcium. Most of the layer feed drops to about 16-18% protein, but has the calcium supplements already in it which is necessary for eggshell production.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Since you've been taking them outside already, they have probably already been exposed to the cocci bug and are already building their immunity to it. I would finish off the bag of medicated and switch to none medicated. I was always told to either take the chicks out, or bring dirt from the coop to the brooder to expose them WHILE they were on the medicated feed. Sounds like you've been there, done that, and got the poop on your t-shirt. Good luck with whatever you decide.