Chick with Coccidiosis?

[koontzie]

I am a rookie chicken owner--4 chicks (youngest 7 weeks-about 12 weeks). Last week, had one with several very bloody poops. I had just started letting him outside every day under my supervision for about a week or two before this happened. My friend (fellow chicken owner) thought it was Coccidiosis. They have all been on Sulmet Solution for 2 days--I saw no blood in the one chicks poop today and none in any of the others. They all seem healthy and happy. I've bleached all the places they have been including the grass for the last 3 days. How long should I keep disinfecting where they are hanging out?

 

[CMV]

You shouldn't be. Chickens need to acquire an immunity to cocci because they are exposed to it throughout their lives. In fact, a certain cocci load is acceptable and even expected in a bird's GI system. Your chick had an overload of cocci, which is when you run into problems. Too much cocci in the system can make them ill. A quick course of treatment with either Sulmet or Corid is enough to put a sick bird back in the pink by alleviating the cocci load. By disinfecting their play areas you are not allowing them to gain a natural immunity to cocci. This is not good because it could lead to them being sickly as adults. It is much better to allow them to be exposed to germs in their environment so their bodies can learn to deal with them.

I hope they return to full health soon. Good luck.

 

[koontzie]

Thanks so much. I wanted to be careful, but not paranoid. I think I am erring in the paranoid side. They should be fine. Looking much better already.

Christine