# Medicated vs Non-Medicated Feed



## Momto5 (Mar 10, 2010)

This is such a newbie question, but the only way to learn is to ask. Our fainters are getting Cargill loose minerals (free choice), baking soda (free choice), very high quality hay and Blue Seal feed. While browsing the aisles at TS tonight, I noticed medicated goat feed.
What is the purpose of medicated feed?


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## minifarmer (Mar 28, 2008)

I don't use it, but I think it is to prevent coccidiosis in goats which can be troublesome in kids. Someone else probably will have better advise.


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## Wags (Jun 2, 2002)

Yup medicated feed is for preventing cocci in kids. You can also do a preventative with Corrid and know exactly what each kid is getting.


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## Momto5 (Mar 10, 2010)

So our normal prevention method is fine in place of medicated feed? We try to be as natural as we can and I dont like introducing anything we dont HAVE to into their diets.


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## Lada (Jun 7, 2008)

I just do cocci prevention when they are kids and use un-medicated feed. I'm going to be eating my goats, and drinking their milk, and I don't want any extra stuff getting in them.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I also do cocci prevention as kids & don't feed medicated feed like that.


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## Jay27 (Jan 11, 2010)

I don't do cocci prevention nor do I feed medicated feeds and I haven't had a problem in all the years I've been doing this. (knock on wood). Why introduce toxins for problems you don't have? Their immune systems should be plenty robust if fed a good diet and kept in a clean environment without overcrowding.


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## saanengirl (Apr 7, 2009)

I find that dam-raised kids on non-medicated feed tend to develop resistance to coccidia. I only treat kids that are symptomatic for coccidia, and this year I have not had to treat any kids for coccidia. The only time I would use a coccidiastat is if I were bringing in a large group of kids from another farm and they are under stress due to traveling (this happens at my University where we do goat research), or if I knew that my farm was heavily infested with coccidia because of years of intensive management. If I purchase a kid from someone who uses a medicated feed, I will watch that kid closely for signs of coccidiosis as I transition to a non-medicated feed. Such kids tend to have little resistance to coccidia.


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## pygmybabies (Apr 24, 2010)

Lada, We used a medicated feed (we didnt know any better) and have now gotten them completely off, is it sill ok to drink the milk when they kid? If preg then it will be soon if not, not for 6 mos to a year. Just wondering how long it stays in system


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## Natural Beauty Farm (Feb 17, 2003)

Goats have a very high metabolism. Nothing stays in their systems for long.

Some areas of the country do not have a problem with Cocci because of their weather... ie, cold, dry, kidding in winter. In these places the kids can build up a resistance easier than say our Appalachian forests or the Pacific coast where we don't get killing cold and everything stays damp.

Cocci is natural, ie, its in every goat. Take a kid from the center of the country though and bring it to either coast and you are going to be fighting Cocci in the kids, does not have to be from a big farm.


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## saanengirl (Apr 7, 2009)

The size of the farm affects the amount of coccidia in the environment much less than the type of management used and the stocking rate. If you have a high stocking rate over the course of several years, you will have an extremely contaminated environment. The stocking rate is in proportion to the size of the housing. 

You can reduce this contamination by putting the animals on slats so that all feces fall through and the animals are not coming into contact with feces. 

With light to moderate stocking of goats, coccidia soil contamination should be low enough to where healthy non-stressed kids can develop resistance without the necessity of a coccidiastat. This is true even in warm wet areas such as Georgia where I live. There are coccidia present on my farm, but my goats have enough resistance to where they are not symptomatic.


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## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

hmm I dont feed medicated. It bothers me if I am drinking the milk, besides the fact I totally agree, fed like that you are not insuring that each goat is getting the amount they need, and resistance is built up.


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## KimM (Jun 17, 2005)

I start my kids out on medicated feed (ADM Meat goat w/Decox) and feed that until they are about 8-9 months old, then wean the does on to dairy pellets. (boys stay on meat goat feed) It doesn't prevent them from getting coccidia as they all have some in their systems as NBF stated. It just helps keep it under control unless they become over-exposed. I only "treat" if I have a problem. Goats have to build up immunity to coccidia and they're are many different kinds as well.


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