Chicken with Coccidiosis! Help!

[EduardoPT]

I am a new chicken owner with only four chickens. 4 days ago I noticed that one of my hens was not moving much, and almost not eating or drinking.

I immediately started looking online for what problem could possible be and I've noticed that all simptoms made me think of coccidiosis! The loss of appetite, bloody poop... Then I removed her from the flock and isolated her. Since I'm not able to give her corid or any other type of medication, I put some apple cider vinegar and garlic on her water.

Yesterday she seemed a little bit better but today not so much...

My question is: if somehow, she's able to recover and survive coccidiosis, she'll become immune right? And if that happens, can I reintroduce her to the other three hens ? Is it possible that when that happens my other chickens become infected by the one who survived coccidiosis? Btw, she's about 4/5 months old.

Thanks a lot guys,

Eduardo

 

[azygous]

Cocciciosis isn't a disease like a virus or bacteria will cause. It's an invasion of organisms called protozoa, cousins to the red tide that can overwhelm fisheries. These coccidia live in the soil, and multiply when it gets warm and wet. Some occasionally live in chicken intestines, most of the time not causing any problems. They exist on the nutrients in the chicken's intestines, and when they decide the conditions are right, they begin to grow and their goal is to complete their life cycle, then they lay eggs and the chicken poops them out. That's when other chickens can become infected with these parasites.

The aim of a coccidiostat such as amprolium is to stop the parasites from feasting on their favorite nutrient thiamine, vitamin B-1, in the intestines, and it stops them from absorbing it. Without this, the coccidia grow through their life cycle, making the chicken sicker due to where all this occurs.

This activity is taking place in the chicken's intestines, and when the coccidia get real active, they can start eroding the intestinal lining, causing bleeding, and this can set off another villain, bacteria, giving it an invitation to join the party. Once the bacteria multiply, the chicken gets sicker and sicker, and the intestines get to the point where the lining is starting to die. Once this happens, there usually isn't much you can do to save the chicken.

Chickens will become resistant to the species of coccidia where they live, but there are plenty more species of coccidia that can hitchhike on shoes, shovels, mowers, tillers, etc. When a new species finds its way into the chicken yard, it's probably going to make the chickens very sick before any of them develop resistance to it. This is why most of us keep a bottle of a coccidiostat on hand just in case.

This is why you need to treat coccidiosis early with a coccidiostat. You need to try to find some. If you tell us where you are from, we might be able to tell you what to ask for.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Are you in the US? If you want to treat your chickens for coccidiosis, get some amprollium. In the upUS, that would be Corid, available at feed stores in powder or in liquid form. Dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid per gallon of water for 5 days. In other countries, look for amprol, coxoid, toltrazuril, or sulfa antibiotics. In some countries it may need to come from a vet. Whenyou give your general location, we might be able to tell you what to get.

 

[EduardoPT]

Hi guys,

Thank you so much for your replies!

I'm from Portugal. I'm going to be 100% honest with you, I believe that where I live is possible to find something to treat cocciodiosis but is it really worth it? I mean, it's probably expensive and since this chicken isn't my pet and I don't love her like I would love my dog, it's only worth a few bucks... Don't get me wrong, of course I want to save my chicken but it's much easier and cheaper to buy another one than to treat the existing one... My main concern is: how probable is my other hens being already sick? Or getting sick from some residual poop on the garden?

Consider this hipotetical situation: my chicken somehow recovers and survives throw coccidiosis, may I rejoin her to the flock, wihtout endangering them?

Thanks in advance

 

[2 many chickens]

Hi guys,

Thank you so much for your replies!

I'm from Portugal. I'm going to be 100% honest with you, I believe that where I live is possible to find something to treat cocciodiosis but is it really worth it? I mean, it's probably expensive and since this chicken isn't my pet and I don't love her like I would love my dog, it's only worth a few bucks... Don't get me wrong, of course I want to save my chicken but it's much easier and cheaper to buy another one than to treat the existing one... My main concern is: how probable is my other hens being already sick? Or getting sick from some residual poop on the garden?

Consider this hipotetical situation: my chicken somehow recovers and survives throw coccidiosis, may I rejoin her to the flock, wihtout endangering them?

Thanks in advance

She needs corid. Don't play around with this. Natural remedies aren't going to help you here. I had coccidiosis in my small flock last year. Wiped out a bunch of them, they suffered before they died. The ones I treated with corid were saved. Thankfully I knew to get it right when it started and wiped it out.

 

[EduardoPT]

She needs corid. Don't play around with this. Natural remedies aren't going to help you here. I had coccidiosis in my small flock last year. Wiped out a bunch of them, they suffered before they died. The ones I treated with corid were saved. Thankfully I knew to get it right when it started and wiped it out.

Do you have any idea where to buy corid in Lisbon, Portugal?

 

[2 many chickens]

Do you have any idea where to buy corid in Lisbon, Portugal?

Oh man, I don't know but I will search around for you online... see what I can find. If not corid, maybe something similar?

 

[Al Capon]

Oh man, I don't know but I will search around for you online... see what I can find. If not corid, maybe something similar?

You want a coccidiostat. Corid is a trade name, might be named something else in Portugal, but the ingredient you're looking for is Amprolium/Amprólio.

 

[azygous]

Let's summon @Shadrach. He's from Spain, but perhaps he knows what coccidiostat might be available in nearby Portugal.

 

[Eggcessive]

Look for amprol or Harkers Coxoid. Call a vet tomorrow if you cannot find it.