Cocci Questions

LazyGirl

In the Brooder
12 Years
Dec 29, 2007
94
0
39
My layer flock has just been diagnosed with cocci...again.
We seem to have it in our soil.
I'm on the antibiotics in the water, but they aren't drinking it! So far no one seems really sick, just afew coughs, not much eating or any laying. I have 32 birds.
Here's my ?? I am pretty much exhausted with my birds, as they have 1 weird thing after another (getting hit by cars, getting cocci, hiding eggs, not laying, laziness, getting killed by our dog, etc.)
So i don't really want to spend the energy to individually medicate them 4x a day. So will the cocci kill all of them if not treated? Can a chicken get over it? Or will they always have it? If I ever get more birds, do I have to treat them all the time since it's in our soil? I am trying to raise healthy, free-range organic eggs. How do you stop this? I think the birds that have it had the cocci vaccine? And never had medicated feed. We first got cocci with a brand new batch, coop, ground everything...never had poultry here before, so its not the clean factor.
Also, I am SEPERATELY raising a batch of meat birds. I actually did 2 batches. The first one had tons of leg problems, but I switched the feed and so the second ones are fine. But both batches are on the small side. (The first butchered between 2-4 lbs at 7 weeks) this batch is 6 weeks and most probably aren't even 2-3 lb yet.
I've noticed that every once in a while I see pink poop by 1 or 2 birds, but they seem healthy. Maybe they have cocci too?????
Could this contribute to slow growth? And is it still ok to eat them? The 1st batch butchered weren't sick-looking.
I am just about at my wits end with chickens. I don't know why i have such bad luck...
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How old are the birds? If an older bird has an immunity to a strain of Cocci they will always test out positive. Have you ever wormed your birds, if so what did you use?
 
If an older bird has an immunity to a strain of Cocci they will always test out positive

That, I did not know. Thanks for the information. If they aren't acting ill and you are not seeing bloody poop, I wouldn't worry about it. If you are seeing it, it can also be worms. Oocysts are just in the soil. Bleach wont kill them, although I hear ammonia will. Heavily liming the soil should also help, but that's hard when birds are in the pen and have nowhere else to go. Are they on Sulmet now? Other antibiotics wont do anything for cocci. How old are they? When I first put a batch of chicks on soil here, they always get cocci now and all mine are raised on medicated feed, too. However, my older girls seem to be immune to it at their age.​
 
I haven't wormed any one. Has anyone used organic wormer? My friend uses Shakleys Basic H? I don't even know where to get it.
Can worms make them cough? Or just the pink poop?
Oh, my flock is between 10-28 mo old.
 
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What cocci medication is 4 x a day? My Amprolium is simply put in drinking water for 5 days.

LazyGirl, you mentioned coughs. I don't recall coughs as a symptom of coccidiosis; is anyone else aware of something I missed? Was the coccidiosis diagnosis from a fecal done by a vet?

Sit tight, maybe you don't have the "bad luck" you thought. Cocci are always present, and can be a low-level issue that remains in control if the birds are otherwise healthy.

You may simply be suffering from summer heat issues with regard to laying. Let's narrow it down ~

Where are you?
What are you feeding?
What is your weather like?
RE. egg laying ~ what sort of coop arrangement is there? How often do you collect eggs?
 
coughing is not usually a symptom of cocci.
however..cocci, and other factors can lower the immune system making them vulnerable to respiratory illness.
it could also be dusts..from feed, dander, molds, etc..
what are you using for bedding?
has the coop been cleaned regularly? ammonia fumes can cause coughing..
you might consider trying Oxine.

http://shagbarkbantams.com/page11.htm

liming the soil with hydrated lime can help..but it must be raked in very well laving no pieces for the birds to eat.

heat+moisture=cocci outbreak.
so if it has been wet and hot in the area where they free range or forage..the lime might help dry things up..also sand can help with drainage if you're having rain, or the ground stays wet.
or, if you are not using the proper medicine, or using the dose or schedule..it will re-occur.

what have you been using to treat cocci?
please describe the birds droppings..color and consistency..
as to the meat birds showing some red in their droppings..meat birds can be very vulnerable to cocci..
and you might consider treating them..
the other birds that are coughing..it's possible they might need a cocci med and an anti-biotic.

as above poster asked..
what all do you feed?
heat can be an issue with less egg production..
they might need some extra vitamins, protein and calcium..
hens sometimes need extra calcium in hot weather.

but if you could have the droppings tested, it would be a good idea so you know what you're dealing with..cocci or worms ,or both.
after the problem is addressed

as to organic wormer, some people use Feed grade DE..
but if there is an infestation of worms..a regular wormer should be used, then the DE used for maintenance if you choose to use DE..
 
Once a disease is fought off it leaves anti-bodies in the bloodstream and those are what are tested for as they are easier to find I guess. Once the anti-bodies are confirmed then the active bad guys are sought out. The latest out break of low pathigen AI was found that way.
 
Thanks for all the questions and advice.
Let me try to answer them:

The LAYERS: are free range, with a large wooden coop that they are in only to roost at night and to lay. The ground is dirt, and we haven't been stellar about moving it lately. They have all stopped laying eggs (there are 30) and it was hot last week.
I live in SW Michigan, and the temps were in the mid 80s, with NO rain.
There are about 5 that are coughing/rasping/something is in my throat.
They have hardly touched their feed, which is a home ground organic 16% layer mix which they have always eaten.
I did introduce 8 new layers last week, but they show no signs of illness.
While they are not laying, eating, well, they don't seem unhealthy at all.
I haven't noticed any weird poop. Maybe an occasional "pinkish" tinge from 1 bird (there is just 1 dropping from the night)
The vet just did a throat culture.
he is the only poultry vet in the area, so i am somewhat limited.
The VET gave me an antibiotic called DoxyCycline. He just received word from the state that he cannot prescribe Cipro or something similar to poultry until further notice. I add this to the water, but he was just saying that if they aren't drinking, I would have to treat them individually.
oh, and they have nest boxes which about half lay in, and i have to find the other nests, which I know most of them. I use the golf balls (which some hate!) and collect several times a day because I had an egg eater that I had to eat, and I know someone else still does on occasion.


As to the MEAT BIRDS:
The leg probs dissapeared with a change in feed.
The birds are small, but otherwise seem quite healthy.
They have some pinkish droppings each day. They are all in a chicken tractor that gets moved every morning to fresh pasture.

Can i treat them with wormer? They are ready to butcher in 2-3 weeks. I don't want any meds in their meat.
 
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