R
11
c/backyard-chicken-keepershannah240hannah2409d agoMost Upvoted

Medicated feed or natural remedies for coccidiosis? I went with medicated, curious what others do

When I started with chicks last spring in Portland, I had to pick between giving them medicated starter feed or trying the natural route with apple cider vinegar and garlic in their water. I went with medicated because I lost two birds to coccidiosis the year before and didn't want to gamble again. The medicated feed was easy, just swap the bag, and I didn't see any issues with appetite or growth over the first 8 weeks. But my neighbor swears by the natural approach, says it builds stronger immunity long term and she's never had a case in 5 years. I'm now wondering if I'm just delaying the problem, since the meds only suppress the parasite, not eliminate it. Has anyone switched from medicated to natural after the first batch, or do you stick with one method the whole time?
1 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
1 Comment
nancy391
nancy3918d ago
Natural remedies sound nice til you're cleaning up dead birds, medicated feed is cheap insurance and I'll take that every time. Your neighbor got lucky, not a system I'd copy.
2