Cocci.......fact or fiction

[mtnhomechick]

First let me say THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY. And I hope I posted in the right place.

I always thought cocci was a disease a chick could get IF the soil was contaminated with it.

Now I heard that ALL soil has cocci and the chick starter/medicated helps them build a tolerance/resistance to it.

I have mine on medicated starter/grower but I see the farm store had them on 28% wild game feed.

So, do I really need the starter food or is this fiction.

Thanks,

Mary

 

[AngelzFyre]

Yes they need to be on starter feed and whether to use medicated or not is personal preference.
I always have fed the medicated starter/grower, just to be on the safe side. I don't want to take the chance and have them get coccidiosis. I switch them to flock raiser when they start to feather out and then to layer ration when they are old enough to lay. Either game bird layer or flock raiser will do fine too, as long as you have oyster shell or aragonite available for calcium when they get 18 weeks and over.

 

[mtnhomechick]

But if I put them on wild game feed.......it's not medicated, so how would they build the resistance to cocci?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Mary,
How about a chance to talk to an expert. On Saturday, April 4 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. at the Fayetteville Arkansas Public Library there will be a chicken school put on by the extension service. The subjects will be disease, breeds, and housing and it is aimed at the small flock owner, not the big commercial operators.

I understand cocci is everywhere. The way I understand it, it is a matter of degree. A chick raised totally free range is pretty safe as the cocci is not concentrated enough to build up to a dangerous level. A chick raised in a dirty brooder is at high risk. The cocci will build up in their droppings and they'll peck at it. I imagine a confined run is somewhere in between. The medicated food is insurance against you not keeping the brooder clean enough. That does not mean you can let your brooder get filthy. All the medication in the world will not keep them safe in a filthy brooder.

Edited to say I am not an expert. I've gotten this from posts on this site.

 

[mtnhomechick]

Quote:
That sounds very intersting. I'll have to check and see how far it is but I would love to attend.

My brooder gets cleaned morning and night. Of course it gets "messy" in between but twice a day is my rule. And of course clean water and food twice a day.

Guess I can feed them the wild game then.

Hey......Thanks

 

[mtnhomechick]

Well, interesting as it would be it's a little too far.......120 mi.

Thanks anyway though.

 

[AngelzFyre]

I'm sorry if my post was confusing...it read to mean after they were older and had some immunity built up. Usually around 3 months or so.
I feed starter grower til they are 12 weeks old.
I then switch to Flock Raiser til they are 18 weeks old and have either put them on Layena at that time or the Flock Raiser.
I do keep oyster shell and granite grit out at all times for them after 18 weeks.

Before the 18 weeks, I start with chick grit and then as they get older switch to the larger grit.

Hope that helps you out more

..I wasn't ever claiming to be an expert either, just telling you what I've done and it worked for me.
I am constantly reading on care and keeping of chicks and chickens and learn something new every day!
I hope RidgeRunner wasn't meaning that I was claiming to be some big chicken expert..I'm not!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
Not at all. I was introducing the school. One of the presenters is a veterinarian, a real expert. Not like me.

I'll feed the medicated feed as I consider it insurance. I can't let mama free range with them and I consider any chick in a brooder or restricted run at risk no matter how clean it is kept. My personal non-expert opinion

 

[AngelzFyre]

Quote:
Not at all. I was introducing the school. One of the presenters is a veterinarian, a real expert. Not like me.

I'll feed the medicated feed as I consider it insurance. I can't let mama free range with them and I consider any chick in a brooder or restricted run at risk no matter how clean it is kept. My personal non-expert opinion

I agree about medicated feed being insurance. I wish all areas had a "chicken school"! That would be so helpful to everyone that's even considering raising chickens.
Wish it was closer to where I am too, I'd love to attend.
Hmmm that'd be a great idea for someone that raises chickens but may be out of work right now...hold some chicken seminars in your area. They do that with horse related things here, but no chickens.