Question about medicated starter feed - did it save my flock or cause more problems?

My neighbor Bob, who's kept chickens for 20 years, told me I absolutely had to use medicated starter for my new chicks or they'd die from coccidiosis. So I followed his advice and used it for the first 8 weeks... but then two of my Barred Rocks ended up with sour crop anyway. Now I'm wondering if the medicated feed actually weakens their natural immunity, or if Bob was right and I just got unlucky. What's your experience with medicated vs non-medicated starter?

2 comments

2 Comments

irisg571mo ago

Oh man, this is one of those topics where everyone's got a strong opinion and you just gotta figure out what works for your setup. It kind of reminds me of how people swear by certain products or methods in any hobby, and sometimes the old-school advice doesn't account for how things have changed. Honestly, I think you probably just got unlucky with those Barred Rocks, because sour crop can happen even with the best care, no matter what feed you use.

evan_jenkins1mo ago

I was all in on medicated starter for years, total Bob disciple, until I lost a whole hatch to sour crop at week 7 back in 2019. The medicated feed keeps coccidia in check but it does nothing for the fungus that causes sour crop, so blaming the feed is like blaming your truck for a flat tire. Plus I've noticed chicks on medicated feed tend to have slower feathering and lag behind on growth compared to my non-medicated birds, which tells me it's messing with their gut flora somehow. If they're on clean bedding and you're not overcrowding, the natural immunity route builds tougher birds in the long run. Bob means well but he's still stuck in the 90s, honestly.