I've dealt with Coccidia on numerous occasions and still dealing with it periodically. I rely on Corid a lot for preventative treatments, but when I have young chicks affected by it, I have found that the key is to treat immediately, to give a direct dose (a drop for littles) of straight undiluted Corid and to separate from the other chicks. Chicks are really rough with one another and even more so with a sick or injured one. It's as if mother nature has designed it this way to protect the others and ensure the survival of the of the strongest ones. When I notice any little thing seems off about one, I separate it immediately and observe it. I add electrolytes immediately to water & push them to drink. Chicks who stay hydrated tend to live. Keeping the chick warm enough is very important and letting them rest. They need to be left alone as much as possible to rest & not stress. Keeping them directly in front of, or propped against a shallow water dish & observed helps a lot. I always keep a fan running near them as well & this definitely helps. I guess the air circulation is helpful and another benefit is it keeps flies from the area. Flys do carry Coccidia as well as other bacteria, germs & disease.
A tremendous part of the process with Coccidia is the protozoa multiplying and blocking the intestines. The importance of flushing the intestines cannot be understated. This is partly what causes the abdomen to swell and become painful. The kidneys shut down. The protozoa are basically 'feeding' on the chicks nutritional content. I imagine this is all very painful. After a certain point, Corid is useless and all it does is to prolong the inevitable, if it even does that. Having struggled with many chicks and seen their suffering...the seizures..the paralysis...the heart attack...it's one of the cruelest and most agonizing deaths. It makes me more willing to try anything if there's a chance it might help.
My husband delivers materials to Tyson chicken hatchery and they use sweet bleach solution to prevent and to treat Coccidia. Infact they recommended this remedy to my husband when he mentioned that I was dealing with an outbreak of Coccidia. I thought this information was pertinent to consider before discounting this method of treatment. Coccidia is certainly an ongoing issue for a business like Tyson and safe, effective treatment is a necessity. I don't mean to suggest that because it's used by a familiar business that means it's the best treatment, but I do believe it lends more credibility to the practice.
I do question the amount of bleach in the recipe provided, but I will get the recipe that Tyson uses and if I can figure out how to do so, will attach it to this thread. I intend to try it with my birds. I wish everyone the greatest success with their own personal flocks.
yep
