coccidiosis on 8 week old chicks living in very humid environment

[aldarita]

Hello everyone, I need some advice concerning my 3 eight week old chicks. I have been doing my own fecals for few years. One of my chicks was looking sick but I did not see any oocysts in the fecal float (the sample was a combination of several poops collected in the morning). I did another fecal 2 days later and still no oocysts. Last Saturday I found a fresh poop that was watery, so I did a fecal and sure enough, this one had several oocysts on it. I started Corid the next morning, today is their third day. They all are looking healthy now although yesterday I found three bloody poops which I think belonged to the chick that was looking sick but not sure. No bloody poops today.
Here is my problem, I live in South Texas, it has been raining and the humidity is starting to climb, lots of dew in the mornings. The chicks are already in a coop and during the day they go out to the yard where they roam all day until roosting time. I am afraid that at the end of this treatment (the recommended 5 days, and then 3 days after 2 weeks ) they will be reinfected again. Actually I think they will get reinfected as soon as I quit giving them corid. Cocci is everywhere.
I would like to know what advice I can get regarding these chicks. Should I continue to give them corid on a preventive basis (which means a weaker dose) but for how long?
Thanks for your help.

 

[Molpet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ol-ampromed-the-correct-amprolium-dose.73341/

 

[Shadrach]

Hello everyone, I need some advice concerning my 3 eight week old chicks. I have been doing my own fecals for few years. One of my chicks was looking sick but I did not see any oocysts in the fecal float (the sample was a combination of several poops collected in the morning). I did another fecal 2 days later and still no oocysts. Last Saturday I found a fresh poop that was watery, so I did a fecal and sure enough, this one had several oocysts on it. I started Corid the next morning, today is their third day. They all are looking healthy now although yesterday I found three bloody poops which I think belonged to the chick that was looking sick but not sure. No bloody poops today.
Here is my problem, I live in South Texas, it has been raining and the humidity is starting to climb, lots of dew in the mornings. The chicks are already in a coop and during the day they go out to the yard where they roam all day until roosting time. I am afraid that at the end of this treatment (the recommended 5 days, and then 3 days after 2 weeks ) they will be reinfected again. Actually I think they will get reinfected as soon as I quit giving them corid. Cocci is everywhere.
I would like to know what advice I can get regarding these chicks. Should I continue to give them corid on a preventive basis (which means a weaker dose) but for how long?
Thanks for your help.

Medicated chick feed might be a good starting point.
If the chicks are free range you have a bit of a problem. If they are confined in a run, then if possible move the run temporarily, dig over the ground, pour on some petrol and set fire to the ground. This should clean the ground. Then put the coop and run back. If not, then confine them for a couple of days and burn what you can.
I had to burn quite a few patches here that had had coops on them.
It may not be possible for you, but movable coops if you have the space can alleviate such a problem.
In theory chicks should develop a resistance to the type of coccidia you have with slow exposure.

 

[aldarita]

Thank you Molpet, much appreciated. I will follow up with the treatment accordingly.

 

[aldarita]

Medicated chick feed might be a good starting point.
If the chicks are free range you have a bit of a problem. If they are confined in a run, then if possible move the run temporarily, dig over the ground, pour on some petrol and set fire to the ground. This should clean the ground. Then put the coop and run back. If not, then confine them for a couple of days and burn what you can.
I had to burn quite a few patches here that had had coops on them.
It may not be possible for you, but movable coops if you have the space can alleviate such a problem.
In theory chicks should develop a resistance to the type of coccidia you have with slow exposure.

Yes, I am afraid I have a bit of a problem. Unfortunately the coop is fixed and so is the yard where they roam. It has a net on top so the hawks cannot get them. I have been keeping chickens for 9 years and this is my first case of coccidiosis with chicks. I think the difference is that I usually start brooding in May and this year I started in February. By May we get a lot of sun during the day that helps with drying out the ground. I have always counted with increasing their immunity with slow exposure but this time it did not work, it might also be that this particular chick has a weak immune system. I did not see any sign of illness in he other two.