Deep Litter and Coccid

[MamaChick0708]

I am 100% sure one of my chickens has Coccid I have already started treating the flock with corrid but I want to know if I was doing the deep litter method if I need to get rid of all the bedding or just turn and apply a fresh layer. I obviously want to head this off since whoever is sick is not showing any other symptoms besides blood poop.

 

[junebuggena]

How old are they? Are they new to your property? If they are older birds, and they have lived on your property for several months without issue, I doubt the problem is coccidiosis. Chickens develop a resistance to the protozoa that they are exposed to. Coccidia is a soil-born protozoa. It's not likely to be in the bedding of the coop if you are doing deep litter properly.

 

[MamaChick0708]

So essentially here is what has happened. I went out to the coop this morning, I looked down and there is a large red runny blob on the coop floor and one on top of the nest boxes where a chicken has been sitting. The blob is red red and looks like pudding. I am not even sure who is sick because nobody is acting sick but it dosent look like intestine lining to me. I have 10 birds in the coop right now, three are new but have been around for 4 weeks. The rest started in the coop.

Most of my birds are 22-24 weeks old with nobody laying yet, Im pretty sure my polish and my copper maran are about ready though they have been testing nest boxes and the marans comb is massive now and red.

I do have a rabbit living with them she has also been around 4 weeks or so.

After I checked the coop shortly after I found another new red blob in the run this morning when cleaning out the water.

Ive cleaned and treated the water with corrid for all birds at this point.

Im just trying to figure out whether my deep litter has to be replaced....

 

[MamaChick0708]

Also it has been raining lately and the birds have spent a large amount of time digging in the dirt and mud and in and out of the coop.

 

[junebuggena]

The new birds may have introduced a new strain of coccidia to your flock that they have not yet developed a resistance to. Also, the new birds may need to develop resistance to the coccidia in the environment that they now live in. In either case, a round of treatment can't hurt.
It's not your litter. Anytime you introduce birds from somewhere else, the potential for a coccidia issue is present.

 

[MamaChick0708]

I have a weird question is it OK to combine the medication with vitamins and electrolytes into their water just to help them through the process of being treated and should I treat the chicken that I have in quarantine for an injury at the same time just in case I'd hate to have to treat all of the flock again

 

[junebuggena]

It's fine to add vitamins and electrolytes with Corrid. Remember that it isn't really medication. It's a thiamine blocker. And yes, treat the one in quarantine as well.

 

[dannyelle123]

From what I have read it is best to wait a week after ending treatment with Corid before giving vitamins as the vitamins counteract the Corid...