Cocci keeps coming back!!

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I always thought that too, until I moved here. Co-op has it for $5.50 a bale ... for chopped straw that doesn't go very far. I need to make a trip to Lowes where it is $5 a bale and not chopped. One of the few things I miss about ND is $1.75 a bale straw!! Also, all but a couple of my caged chickens have fully enclosed (with open doors and some vent holes) boxes for their "coops" so they don't have to sit on the wire all the time. They also have indoor and outdoor perches. All will have cages with built in boxes once the weather clears up enough for me to get outside and finish the rest of the cages! I would still prefer them be on the ground and be able to be chickens, though!

Miss Prissy, does it have to be tilled in? The problem with this pen is that part of it goes over our field line and we can't till. Gravel may be an option though, I will have to ask if that would be okay in that area. Would certainly help drain out the muckies! We are having to put gravel in the dog kennels also, I can't afford the straw anymore! It just doesn't last long enough in this whether.

Thanks to everyone for all the information thus far. I will check out everyone's recommendations and implement what I can to try to control this. If it comes back again, I am just going to have to find a vet that will run the test for me. I know the CAN, it is just getting them to do it. A fecal float just doesn't cost enough for them to bother with. That is another thing I miss about ND, vet care was much better; they were a lot more interested in the animals well being and a bit less interested in how to fill their pockets.

If it comes down to brass tacks, do the float yourself. It's not hard and you can get everything you need for about $100, that includes the microscope. Go here and follow the instructions. It's for goats, but it works the same. The link she provides for supplies is fantastic. I bought all of my stuff there. And hey...if you have some hair gel, you can play mad poo scientist.

Mad poo scientist!

That is an idea, though! I could probably do the dogs myself too and save a bunch of money and be able to check them more frequently. I never even would have thought of being able to do such a thing! Thanks

Gayle Damerow's Chicken Health Handbook tells you how to do the fecal floats yourself.

Also ~ I don't know what part of TN you're in, but there is a good Avian vet in Nashville, Dr. Michael Corwin.

I'm in the other part of Tennessee, lol. I am east of Knoxville I'll check around and see if I can find that book. I am sure it is on eBay or Amazon if I can't find it here.

Thanks

They make chick food with Cocci vaccine in it, don't they?

They make medicated chick feed, not sure exactly what is in it, but these birds are mostly adults on layer food, not chicks. There are a few young birds in there, but the youngest are about 4 months or so and they are all on layer feed now.

I was going to say that I didn't think they made any vaccinations for parasites (coccidiosis is actually a single celled parasitic infection, not a disease), but then I thought about Giardia (also a single-celled, protozoal parasite), which has a vaccine. Upon google search I found several sites about cocci vaccines. I didn't have time to look at them much right now, but the one site I looked at has a vaccine for pullets prior to point of lay. This vaccine confers immunity to the chicks from the maternal antibodies. It said nothing of the hen, herself, but this may be something I need to look into if I have continued problems.

We haven't dealt with coccidiosis except with the babies. Our first batch we lost several (6, I think) before I found the following solution in one of the books I grew up with. The second batch, we only lost two, and it wasn't coccidiosis.

Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to every quart of water (1/4 cup per gallon). Whether it kills the bacteria, or just stops the symptoms, I don't know. It worked, it's cheap, and it's a lot easier than loosing chickens.

We were feeding the medicated chick feed. The vinegar worked better (although we can't get non-medicated chick feed).

Diatomaceous earth. http://www.earthworkshealth.com/

You got lots of good advice. I wouldnt try stall dri though. I tried that and lost some chickens to it. The rigth kind of DE is always helpful. You can also buy it at cutler pheasant supplies online. (edit I think there is two kinmds of stall Dri and I got the wrong kind, it contained the wrong DE in it which is poison to birds)


It sounds like you have run your course with amprol(corrid). Sulfadimethoxine is good for cocci but needs to be given in a precise amount, so it wont damage their livers. 1 level teaspoon to gallon of water. There are also some other meds that you can buy through Foys Pigeon Supplies also online. If you call their number you can get help with what would be best, It would probably be best to also treat for e-coli at the same time. Then after 7 days(with sulmeth...) give a liberal dose of probiotics and electrolytes in their water for ten days. And I give them little crumbles of raw cheese and small amts of raw milk or powdered milk rehydrated. And a small amy of yogurt.

I had a problem with some young seramas and their wings were dirty from that so I just trimmed the tips off with a scissors because I thought they may be reinfect when cleaning themselves. I figure they will grow back soon enough.