How do you prevent coccidiosis?

[The Duck Dad]

I am getting a few chicks soon and was wondering if there is a way to treat the chickens to prevent coccidiosis. Thanks!

 

[azygous]

New baby chicks or older started pullets?

Coccidia are parasites living in the soil all over the world. They are everywhere. During certain weather conditions, they may multiply in the soil and as chickens pick up grit, they can get a belly full of these critters. If there are enough of them, they can make a chicken sick, sometimes so sick that the chicken dies.

Even though coccidia are everywhere, most chickens are resistant to the coccidia in their local soil. If you put new baby chicks on soil with a coccidia bloom, they can get sick. So this is why some people feed medicated feed. Medicated chick feed has a very low dose of amprolium in it. This will help protect the chicks from getting coccidiosis while they are developing resistance to it. Chicks can still get sick, though, if there is a lot of coccidia. They would need to be treated with Corid in that case.

In fact, it is a good idea to keep Corid on hand at all times. Even though chickens and chicks have developed resistance, they can still get sick with coccidiosis when there is an overpopulation of coccidia. And if you are bringing home started pullets or adult chickens, they may not have resistance to the particular strain of local coccidia, so they would also benefit from a preventative round of Corid while they develop resistance.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

New baby chicks or older started pullets?

Coccidia are parasites living in the soil all over the world. They are everywhere. During certain weather conditions, they may multiply in the soil and as chickens pick up grit, they can get a belly full of these critters. If there are enough of them, they can make a chicken sick, sometimes so sick that the chicken dies.

Even though coccidia are everywhere, most chickens are resistant to the coccidia in their local soil. If you put new baby chicks on soil with a coccidia bloom, they can get sick. So this is why some people feed medicated feed. Medicated chick feed has a very low dose of amprolium in it. This will help protect the chicks from getting coccidiosis while they are developing resistance to it. Chicks can still get sick, though, if there is a lot of coccidia. They would need to be treated with Corid in that case.

In fact, it is a good idea to keep Corid on hand at all times. Even though chickens and chicks have developed resistance, they can still get sick with coccidiosis when there is an overpopulation of coccidia. And if you are bringing home started pullets or adult chickens, they may not have resistance to the particular strain of local coccidia, so they would also benefit from a preventative round of Corid while they develop resistance.

Where can you get Corid? I suspect we may have one 20 week old hen with coccidiosis.

 

[Eggcessive]

Where can you get Corid? I suspect we may have one 20 week old hen with coccidiosis.

Tractor Supply, Southern States, Rural King, or other feed stores have Corid liquid and powder. Dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid or 1.5 tsp of the powder per gallon of water for 5 days. I prefer the liquid since you can also give a drench of undiluted Corid 0.1 ml per pound daily for a couple of days for a sick chicken.

 

[azygous]

You can also get it online from a zillion sources.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Tractor Supply, Southern States, Rural King, or other feed stores have Corid liquid and powder. Dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid or 1.5 tsp of the powder per gallon of water for 5 days. I prefer the liquid since you can also give a drench of undiluted Corid 0.1 ml per pound daily for a couple of days for a sick chicken.

Thanks Eggcessive!
We just looked at our local Tractor Supply and they have the powder version. We're going to get it, and order the liquid version online. Thanks so much for the info.
I gave our girl Cloudy (White Leghorn x CA gray mix) some NutriDrench the other day. She was exhibiting the signs and behaviors described for Coccidiosis - didn't want to eat, sitting around all puffed up, sleepy. This is one of our more dominant hens out of our 12, usually energetic and bossy.
The Nurtidrench seemed to help a lot and she started perking up when I brought the daily treat plates in. I did notice a mucousy, goey poo that I think was hers though. She does seem better yesterday and today. Do you think it makes sense to dose the whole flock with Corid in the water?
And is having a somewhat poopy chicken run where they spend a part of their day a factor? We also give them their scratch and treats in there. I've tried picking up their poop, but there's so much, can't keep ahead of it.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can make an equivalent solution of the undiluted Corid by mixing 1.5 tsp of powder into 2 tsp (10 ml) of water.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

You can make an equivalent solution of the undiluted Corid by mixing 1.5 tsp of powder into 2 tsp (10 ml) of water.

Thanks! Sounds like a good plan. It wouldn't "hurt" to dose them all in their water for 5 days though, would it?
Currently they have a clean fresh (heated) water tower available all day, plus a separate 1 gallon waterer that we add either HydroHen or ACV to, every other day on a regular schedule. But always the plain water every day too. I guess for Corid, we'll use the 1 gallon waterer, skip the ACV and HydroHen, and just mix it every day.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

You can also get it online from a zillion sources.

Thanks, I should have checked first. Of course you can! Amazon too.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, Corid is safe for all, and I would only use Corid in the water and no other water.