Cocci Vaccine - CocciVac -- Is it effective?

Hello,

I have hatched out some new baby chicks, and I was researching to see if there is an alternative to not feeding medicated food. I tried not doing it once, and lost quite a few babies to cocci. In my reading, I found that there is a vaccine for cocci. Has anyone ever used this? If so, how effective is it?

I've tried searching the forum, but couldn't find a lot of good information. Any insight/experiences/etc is greatly appreciated!

Here is where I found the actual product for sale:

https://www.jefferspet.com/products/coccivac-d2-1000?sku=I6AA&gclid=CO7amtLs2s8CFRCNaQod1rkOEg

I don't have any personal experience with it but I have heard from.others who have used it they grow slower and seem to be stunted in growth on the long run when the vaccine is used. The vaccines on the USA are unattenuated which means they are not weakened in any way. Basically you are overloading the chicks immune system with cocci in order to force them to become immune.

I deal with a bit of cocci at early spring and early fall due to weather where I live. Pens are clean and dry but still some get it. I personally wait until there are symptoms of it (we keep a very close eye on growing birds for this) and run a treatment through the infected flock. As long as it isn't let go to worsen within the flock then everyone recovers and does fine. I do not like to keep them on medicated feed their entire growth period. I may have to dose one time in that first year of life to get things back in check but otherwise they do fine.

Cocci likes warm, wet environments. It tends to slow down in the summer because it is hot and dries everything out but early spring it is cool to warm and wet, same on the fall. That's why those are your most common times for seeing birds infected.

My husbandry method involves never using medicated feed or vaccine. I use fermented feed which gives the chicks a good gut load of probiotics and also making the nutrients in the feed more bioavailable. Within the first 2 weeks, I give them a plug of sod or a scoop of soil from my yard. That soil has local cocci. Provides a good gut load of beneficial bacteria and fungi, gives them some minerals, some insects, some greens, their first grit, their first dust bath, and infinite entertainment. IMO, important to do this soon, as their immune system is strongest within the first 2 weeks after hatch. Just like a human baby receives some temporary immunity from her mother, a chick also receives some temporary immunity from her mother.

The coccidiosis 'vaccine' is actually a very small dose of the coccidia, meant to give the chicks a chance to gradually develop immunity by the time they are exposed to your environment (dirt). If you actually have had deaths due to this parasite, your best bet is to feed the feed with added amprolium, which damages the coccidia and should prevent illness. Some places, like mine and lazy gardener's, appear to have lower numbers of that parasite in the soil, so chicks do fine with or without medicated feed. You weren't so lucky! If I were you, I'd feed the medicated feed for six weeks, or until the babies have been out there on your ground for several weeks, so they are exposed and can develop immunity. Mary

What vaccines do we need to be concerned with when purchasing new baby chicks?

I do not vaccinate any birds. Most of the vaccines available for poultry do not work like the other vaccines we think of with livestock. Most poultry vaccines actually infect the bird with a mild form of the disease rendering them carriers for life. Yes, they are protected but any other bird that they come into contact with that is not vaccinated will actually become infected the bird with the disease.

Marek's vaccine does NOT infect the birds, and does help protect them from the tumors produced in birds infected with Marek's disease. For most of us with backyard flocks, it's the only useful vaccine. Mary

And while some consider it to be a useful vaccine, it is an individual decision to use it or not use it. I strongly urge you to do a lot of research before choosing to use it. If you read the research, looking at both the pros and cons of using it, you will come to your own decision. My personal decision after looking at the research is that I will NOT choose to use it. It does not convey immunity to your flock. I urge all readers to take the time to read the research, and then make their own informed decision re: Marek's vaccine. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous/

Thanks everyone for the input. I was reading some articles from organic producers. Apparently it is okay for them to use the cocci vaccine, but not medicated food. This is why I was so interested in it. I still may choose to vaccinate for cocci just to try it out, but I'm not sure yet.

I think that it is in my soil pretty bad. I've had multiple deaths from it while feeding medicated chick feed. Usually when it is wet out :/ It literally never fails when I put chicks outside they usually become slightly infected with it after about 2 weeks of being on the soil. I am trying different methods, but so far I've just had okay luck.

I do ferment feed and put some dirt from outside in the brooder long before they go outside. Also, I have my first broody hen raising babies right now. They are about a week old, but so far no cocci. I know that brooded chicks are supposed to be more resistant, so my fingers are crossed!

crobbins2009 said:

Thanks everyone for the input. I was reading some articles from organic producers. Apparently it is okay for them to use the cocci vaccine, but not medicated food. This is why I was so interested in it. I still may choose to vaccinate for cocci just to try it out, but I'm not sure yet.

I think that it is in my soil pretty bad. I've had multiple deaths from it while feeding medicated chick feed. Usually when it is wet out :/ It literally never fails when I put chicks outside they usually become slightly infected with it after about 2 weeks of being on the soil. I am trying different methods, but so far I've just had okay luck.

I do ferment feed and put some dirt from outside in the brooder long before they go outside. Also, I have my first broody hen raising babies right now. They are about a week old, but so far no cocci. I know that brooded chicks are supposed to be more resistant, so my fingers are crossed!

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Medicated feed will not treat an active outbreak. For that, you need a much more concentrated dosage of amprolium. It's a thiamin blocker that will 'starve' the protozoa so that they can't reproduce in the infected bird's gut. Once a chick develops resistance to the strains they are exposed to, coccidia presents little danger. The vaccine only protects against a few strains of coccidia, and there are at least nine different strains. There is no guarantee that the vaccine will protect against the particular type of coccidia in your soil. Medicated feed is a good preventative, but again, is not 100%.