Medicated Feed for chicks?

[Browniethechicken]

How long do you feed medicated feed to baby chicks? I am getting same number of chicks again, 6 chicks. I have options of 5 pound bag and 25 pound bag? My last flock I raised on a 40 lb medicated crumble and they did well and stayed healthy. Not sure if it made a difference…

 

[Aunt Angus]

How long do you feed medicated feed to baby chicks? I am getting same number of chicks again, 6 chicks. I have options of 5 pound bag and 25 pound bag? My last flock I raised on a 40 lb medicated crumble and they did well and stayed healthy. Not sure if it made a difference…

I don't feed medicated. But how long did you feed it yo your last flock? If they did well, you can do the same with these 6.

 

[Browniethechicken]

I don't feed medicated. But how long did you feed it yo your last flock? If they did well, you can do the same with these 6.

Why don’t you feed medicated? Thank you!

 

[Browniethechicken]

Why don’t you feed medicated? Thank you!

I still have a small flock eating it and they are 13 weeks old

 

[Aunt Angus]

Why don’t you feed medicated? Thank you!

I just don't. I prefer them to be exposed to my soul and develop resistance to it that way. It's just a personal preference. If it worked for you before, keep using it! And if your other birds are still on it, it will make feeding so much easier if they are all on the same one.

 

[Browniethechicken]

I just don't. I prefer them to be exposed to my soul and develop resistance to it that way. It's just a personal preference. If it worked for you before, keep using it! And if your other birds are still on it, it will make feeding so much easier if they are all on the same one.

Thank you!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm just going to copy something I wrote for a different question so it may read a little strange to you in parts but it should give you the basics on medicated feed. If you have any questions after you read it just ask.


First you need to know what the "medicated" is in the medicated feed. It should be on the label. Usually it is Amprolium, Amprol, some such product, but until you read the label, you really don't know. Most "medicated' feed from major brands for chicks that will be layers uses Amprolium, but there are a few out there mostly for broilers, that use other medicines. I'll assume yours is an Amprolium product, but if it is not, then realize everything I say about it may not apply. And it is possible that the "medicated" is Amprolium AND something else.

Amprolium is not an antibiotic. It does not kill anything. It inhibits the protozoa that cause coccidiosis (often called Cocci on this forum) from multiplying in the chicken's system. It does not prevent the protozoa from multiplying; it just slows that multiplication down. There are several different strains of protozoa that can cause Cocci, some more severe than others. Chickens can develop immunity to a specific strain of the protozoa, but that does not give them immunity to all protozoa that cause Cocci.

It is not a big deal for the chicken’s intestines to contain some of the protozoa that cause Cocci. The problem comes in when the number of those protozoa gets huge. The protozoa can multiply in the chicken’s intestines but also in wet manure. For them to reproduce they need some moisture. Slightly damp isn't an issue, soaking wet is. Different protozoa strains have different strengths, but for almost all cases, if you keep the brooder dry, you will not have a problem.

To develop immunity to a specific strain, that protozoa needs to be in the chicks intestines for two or three weeks. The normal sequence is that a chick has the protozoa. It poops and some of the cysts that develop the protozoa come out in the poop. If the poop is slightly damp, those cysts develop and will then develop in the chick's intestines when the chicks eat that poop. This cycle needs go on for a few weeks so all chicks are exposed and they are exposed long enough to develop immunity. A couple of important points here. You do need to watch them to see if they are getting sick. And the key is to keep the brooder dry yet allow some of the poop to stay damp. Not soaking wet, just barely damp. Wet poop can lead to serious problems.

What sometimes happens is that people keep chicks in a brooder and feed them medicated feed while they are in the brooder. Those chicks are never exposed to the Cocci protozoa that lives in the dirt in their run, so they never develop the immunity to it. Then, they are switched to non-medicated feed and put on the ground where they are for the first time exposed to the protozoa. They do not have immunity, they do not have the protection of the medicated feed, so they get sick. Feeding medicated feed while in the brooder was a complete waste.

I do not feed medicated feed. I keep the brooder dry to not allow the protozoa to breed uncontrollably. The third day that they are in the brooder, I take a scoop of dirt from the run and feed it to them so I can introduce the protozoa and they can develop the immunity they need to the strain they need to develop an immunity to. Since I keep my brooder extremely dry and the water clean the protozoa can't reproduce so every three days I give them more dirt from the run so they get more protozoa and can develop immunity. I don't lose chicks to Cocci when they hit the ground.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding medicated feed to chicks, whether the protozoa are present or not. It will not hurt them. They can still develop the immunity they need. But unless the protozoa are present, it also does no good.

If you get your chicks vaccinated for Cocci, do not feed medicated feed. It can negate the vaccinations.

 

[ValarieF]

How long do you feed medicated feed to baby chicks? I am getting same number of chicks again, 6 chicks. I have options of 5 pound bag and 25 pound bag? My last flock I raised on a 40 lb medicated crumble and they did well and stayed healthy. Not sure if it made a difference…

I kept mine on for 8 weeks. You can keep them on the whole time or as long as you like its really up to you.

 

[3KillerBs]

I keep mine on the medicated feed until they're integrated into the flock and transitioned to the all-flock feed -- around 5-6 weeks.

I also give them bits of soil and bedding from the adults' coop from the time they're a week old.

I honestly don't know if I have any cocci issues in my soil, but I figure that the medicated feed can't hurt and that the gradual introduction to the soil organisms is a good idea regardless.

I wouldn't buy the expensive tiny bag. I'd just feed the big bag until it was gone -- mixing it into the adults' all-flock if necessary.

 

[Browniethechicken]

I keep mine on the medicated feed until they're integrated into the flock and transitioned to the all-flock feed -- around 5-6 weeks.

I also give them bits of soil and bedding from the adults' coop from the time they're a week old.

I honestly don't know if I have any cocci issues in my soil, but I figure that the medicated feed can't hurt and that the gradual introduction to the soil organisms is a good idea regardless.

I wouldn't buy the expensive tiny bag. I'd just feed the big bag until it was gone -- mixing it into the adults' all-flock if necessary.

Thank you! How do you feed your layers the layer feed or the calcium they need while also feeding your newer younger ones who can’t have it yet…..
Once all are together in the coop/run? Is this hard to manage?