Baby Chicks with Coccidiosis, but want them to free range.

[Im Barred up]

I got 6 Barred Rock Chicks and 1 Americauana two weeks ago. The lady I got them from said to use the medicated food as she knows the the coccidiosis bacteria is present on her farm. When I got the medicated food it says to use as sole nutrition for the first 8 weeks. My question is, I want to start letting them go outside anytime now. Can I let them forrage outside for a few hours, or should I keep them penned up until the 8 weeks are past so that the only thing they eat is the medicted food? .....and maybe a few treats rationed by me lol

 

[Zach123]

Were the chicks outside, I.E. being raised by a hen or where they inside in a brooder? If they were inside in a brooder they were probably not exposed to the strain of cocci on her farm at all, and thus, have no more chance of contracting the disease then chicks from any one else's farm. Now, if they were exposed, then I guess they would have a higher risk, especially if shes had issues with the disease in her other chickens.

Cocci bactiria are present in all soils and other stuff our chickens get into on every single one of our farms, ranchs, backyards and gardens. If someone tells you they dont have any cocci on their land, they are mistaken. Some strains are harmful to chickens, others are not. Letting these chicks outside on your farm/backyard does not put them at any more risk then any other chicks you might get from somewhere else. The cocci strain on her farm is not necessarily the same strain found on your farm, nor is it likely in the same concetrations etc. It would, in my humble opinion, be perfectly okay to let them roam about. I would even encourage it.

Bear in mind if you do have a cocci issue they brought from over there and they are roaming around your yard, it will spread that strain to your yard as well. However, I would NOT worry about this unless your chicks are sick already. While cocci is already present on out lands, it is also already present in our, all of our, chickens guts and every chicken that poops on our land is spreading cocci of some, usually harmless, form.

 

[Im Barred up]

Thanks alot! They were inside under a brooder, so sounds like I should be safe to let them outside some. She just let me know in advance that her chickens must have a worse strain of the cocci bacteria (although from the farm, or even her house for that matter I can see how anything would have disease.) I was glad to get the little ones home. I think she threw in the Americauna because she thought it was going to die. She had such a bad case of pasty butt that once I got her cleaned up she sat at the waterer forever. All seven are thriving well now, and I want to keep it that way!

 

[Zach123]

Yeah, just because her area has a problem, doesn't put your chicks at any extra risk to roam about your land. Cocci is spread many ways, whether its from a nasty brooder or coop, or, in some unfortunate cases, just a bad location. You dont need to worry about letting your little ones, or big ones, roaming. Sometimes, it doesn't matter how hard we try and how much we clean, bactiria and disease can still pose a problem, just dumb luck in some cases. Im glad you saved the little one, one of my brahmas had pasty butt, but I couldnt tell, she was just acting sick. Finally the wife said "I think shes trying to poop." and sure enough, thats what it was haha. She now rules the roost.....