Growers feed with coccidiostst

[rick]

I'm intending to wean these 12 week old pullets off medicated growers pellets and onto unmedicated growers over the next 2 weeks. It seems unlikely in the autumn here with the temperature falling that any sporulated oocysts will be around in to cause a problem before they become immune anyway.
Does that seem like a reasonable plan?

 

[Marigold]

With healthy 12-week-old birds, kept in clean conditions as yours are, I wouldn't have thought cocci was an issue really, especially with cooler weather on its way, as you say rick.

 

[dinosaw]

Yep 4-8 weeks is usually the danger period for cocci so by 12 weeks they ought to be ok.

 

[rick]

That's good news. Thanks for the check.
They are quite big already and have been interacting through the partition for nearly 3 weeks now, although their combs haven't really started to develop yet. Will be good to have the medicated pellets out of the way as one practical bar to introduction to my egg layers.

 

[Poultryman]

Does medicated feed help birds develop immunity? Well, it will depend on the medication in the feed, whetjrt coccidial or coccidiostat.

 

[rick]

That's interesting Poultryman. From what your saying I am guessing that coccidal feed has a low dose of coccidiosis eggs in to give them a controlled exposure before they are let out?
I haven't seen anything like that in the UK but I don't know (maybe for commercial flocks.)
but then this is only the second time for us, raising a few pullets well before POL.

 

[Poultryman]

Coccidiocidals kill the parasite while coccidiostats prevents their growth and multiplication. The former can also be used to help birds develop immunity by using sub-therapeutic dose. At high dose the birds will not develop immunity. Checkout this link: https://www.scienceinternational.com/fulltext/?doi=sciintl.2013.261.265.