Ducklings and goslings medication?

[cgjsmith]

I have ducklings and goosling in a pen with chicks, its getting to be the time when i have to start treating chicks for coccidia can I use the same watere or do I need to seperate the waterfowl. Crystal

Ps i use sulmate.

 

[silkiechicken]

Why do you need to treat for cocci? Are they actively infected? If not, they may have already built up an immunity to it and so the drugs are unnecessary.

 

[greyfields]

You definitely do not want your waterfowl to get coccidiostats in their feed. It's toxic to them and they will die. Waterfowl are also nearly immune to coccidiossis. So it shouldn't be something to worry about.

 

[cgjsmith]

Last year i lost 3/4 of my chicks to coccidia. My vet suggested I I treat them after a month on the ground to help build immunity. so far I've not lost any of the chicks on the ground yet this year, only in my brooder. Crystal

 

[raindrop]

I would separate the duckling/goslings and the chicks. Waterfowl in the brooder means lots of moisture, coccidia will thrive. Remember that cocci meds do not kill cocci, they only inhibit replication. Environmental factors play a large role in cocci problems.
Besides, the waterfowl grow so much more quickly and aren't the most graceful creatures, I would worry about a chick getting injured.

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
Yes. But she was asking about waterfowl not chicks.

I have had bad losses in my chickens to cocci as well. You are left with two choices really:

a) Treat with coccdiostats.

b) Let your sick chickens die, then breed from the ones who show a naturally immunity to it.

 

[cgjsmith]

Its more then just a brooder though. since its getting warm I have an entire pen devoted to babies. the chicks are about 3 weeks older then the ducks and goslings. We've not had any problems except the geese tried to eat the feathers off one of the groups so they are all ugly ha ha. Crystal
edited to add the pen is 12 ft by 7 ft. sawdust floor with a brooder lamp and two watering things. Crystal