I just read the whole thread. I'm don't remember anyone suggesting that it might be cocci [except for OP on Post #1]. She also treated with Sulmet which only treats 2 of the 9 known cocci strains. If you're rooster has signs of lethargy, listlessness, loss of appetite, does not want to drink water, and MAYBE blood in stool, then it probably is Coccidiosis. I would treat ASAP. I would also use CORID instead of Sulmet. Corid treats all 9 strains of Coccidiosis in chickens.
Watch this video. Does your chick, hen, rooster act 'drunk' like the chick at the end? Then it's probably cocci.
Also, to my understanding, when cocci invades the ceca or intestinal lining, it inhibits the chick/chicken to absorb nutrients. If that's true, a chicken with Coccidiosis will have a vitamin E deficiency along with all other vitamin deficiencies. While people have had success with giving vitamin E and selenium, both are high power antioxidants and are known to boost energy. In my mind, it makes sense that giving high doses of antioxidants may temporarily 'cure' your bird by giving them the energy to stabilize themselves. In the end, the root problem was not addressed [whatever it may be, but most likely cocci] and chickens relapse when it stops getting either supplement. For those chickens that do pull through, they may have naturally fought off the cocci invasion and were fine [and now immune]. I'm a new chicken owner, so take everything with a grain a salt. All I know is that my 6 day old chick had this 'drunken' posture and Corid fixed her right up.
Also, it doesn't makes sense to me that chickens eating proper feed would have any sort of vitamin deficiencies [unless its an internal/external factor]. I would imagine feed companies spend thousands, if not millions of dollars in researching proper nutrition in their feed.
