Cocci question

[Adoravachick]

I have 2, 6 week old chicks with Cocci. I purchased them from a local breeder and I know that they didn't have it when I purchased them. I have had them for almost 4 weeks, and the cocci showed up a few days ago. My flock is made up of 11 and 12 week old birds and none of them have it or have ever had it. My question is, where would the chicks have gotten it from? We have tons of wild birds, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits...etc. around our propery. Is it possible that they picked it up from another animal that has pooed in our yard?

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are several different strains of the protozoa that causes cocci. Chickens, especially young chicks, can develop an immunity to a specific strain if they are exposed to it, but immunity to one strain does not give them immunity to all strains. I purposely take dirt from the run and give it to chicks in a brooder to expose them to any strain that may be present. Mine never show any symptoms, while in the brooder or after they hit the ground.

I suspect what is happening is that your existing flock has a certain strain or maybe even strains of cocci and have developed an immunity to it. The new chicks coming in do not yet have that immunity. If you treat them and they recover, they will then have that immunity.

Cocci is caused when the number of protozoa get out on hand in their intestines. They can handle a light load of those protozoa without any problems. That protozoa can live and multiply in wet manure. It would not surprise me that the coop and run were fairly dry until recently then you got a rain that got the run wet. The number of protozoa available in the mud and manure exploded and those chicks ate a lot of them before they had developed the immunity they need.

If a wild bird had introduced a new strain of cocci, your existing flock would not have that immunity and all of them would probably catch it, not just the new birds.

 

[Adoravachick]

I think that you hit the nail on the head. The run has been very dry until this past week, it rained everyday with overcast skies between the rain spells. On Thursday, I was finally able to get out and really turn the shavings in the run to dry things up. Thurs and Fri were full sun so the run finally fully dried out. The chicks were in the run while the flock was in the coop....so I bet that's it. Also, I fed my flock medicated food as babies so I never had that problem. With the new babies, I didn't feel medicated because I was also feeding guinea keets and was told not to feed them medicated. Could that also have something to do with it?

I do have a question though, I am hatching some silkie eggs and how do I prevent them from getting it once they hatch? I don't want a bunch of diseased animals running around. Is cocci an ongoing and common problem? When the eggs hatch, will feeding them medicated food prevent cocci and other nasties? I am feeling frustrated, as I have never really had sick animals. It bothers me a little and makes me feel as if I am doing something wrong.

 

[leadwolf1]

Coccidia is found in many animal species. Rabbits, rats, squirrels, dogs...all can carry coccidia. All different strains. Some have more problems with it then others.

It can be cured with Corid from the feed store and as the chicks mature, they will develop immunity to the strains that they come in contact with. However, in times of stress, birds of all ages can develop a coccidia overload and need to be treated.

Medicated feed only has Amprolium in it. In low doses. It is only to help prevent infection with Coccidia. It does not work all the time and will not prevent chicks from getting other 'nasties'. In times of wet weather, when coccidia flourish, even on medicated feed they will become infected and need to be treated. Coccidia is a parasite, a protozoan, that infects animals much like any other worm. It is not a 'disease' like respiratory illness, Marek's, etc.

 

[Adoravachick]

Okay, so it just sounds like it is the nature of the beast and just something to keep on top of. I have always had animals and I take pride in taking great care of my animals as pets. We love them and spoil them, so it really bugs that bananas out of me when it somes to things like this.

Anything special I should do with the new babies when they arrive? Like Ridgerunner said, should I put bedding from the flock's run into the brooder of the babies? At what age should I do this? 3 or 4 weeks?

 

[leadwolf1]

I have always gone the opposite way..I have kept them spotless until they slowly developed their immunity. So, I wouldn't know about this. I would be worried that the run would be experiencing a large coccidia outbreak and I would infect my babies

 

[Adoravachick]

Everyone has been treated for the cocci for the past several days, even though my older birds never showed any symptoms, but just in case. As of today, the two 6 wk old chicks no longer have
blood in the poo. I changed the bedding in everything! I disinfected everything that they come into contact with. What a mess.

At some point....down the road, I would like to start a breeding program with the silkies that I am hatching. Will this coccidia always be a problem? Will people not want our birds because they HAD coccidia?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Practically all birds, wild and domestioc, have the protozoa that caues cocci. It's just in the ground. It's not a big deal once they get the immunity to it. To get that immunity they need to be exposed to it. That's why on Day 3 in the brooder I give them some dirt from the run that the adults have been pooping in. They get any probiotics the adults may have and are exposed to practically anything the adults might have. The chicks can develop that immunity while they are in the brooder and I am watching them closely. They also get introduced to grit that way.

It is not a big deal for the chicken to have some of the protozoa in their system. It's when the numbers of that protozoa get out of hand that they have a problem. A wet brooder, coop, or run can help those numbers get out of hand.

Once a flock has cocci, every chicken in that flock has the protozoa for cocci in their system. With the immunity it just does not cause a problem for them, though I fully agree with Leadwolf1 that a wet run is a dangerous run. Once they get that immunity, a wet run is less dangerous as far as cocci. Once the weather sets in wet, there is not a lot you can do to keep most runs dry, especially larger runs, so it is even more important they get that immunity while young.

Any time you merge birds that were not raised together, there is a chance they can give a disease to each other. Not just cocci, but others too. It happens all the time with cocci. As long as the conditions are not too wet, the new birds will probably develop that immunity, but you do have to watch for problems. If it had not set in wet for another week or so and your new ones had time to develop that immunity, you would never have known the protozoa for cocci was present in your flock.

If you sell hatching eggs, they will not transmit the cocci protozoa. If you keep your incubator hatched chicks isolated in the brooder where they don't come in contact with the rest of the flock or the ground, they will not have been exposed to cocci. If the people you are selling to understand how cocci works, it will probably not be a big deal, but it is an issue you should be up-front about.

 

[leadwolf1]

Coccidia should not, in any way, effect your ability to sell birds. It happens to many.

 

[Adoravachick]

I certainly understand the importance of Quarantine, the chicks were quarantined for 3 weeks, but I see that really wouldn't have helped. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. How long do they need to be treated with Sulmet?