How early can chicks get Coccidiosis?

[Curious1234]

And once they show symptoms, do I need to medicate the entire flock with corid or is it okay to just give them medicated starter? If the latter, how long do you give the medicated starter for? Or is giving Corid to entire flock the best?

 

[Erica]

Hi Curious1234,

I suppose it's possible chicks could develop cocci on day 5 (that's about the earliest after exposure that symptoms can emerge), but I've never seen it. Practically speaking they don't tend to get cocci until about week 3, when they start shedding really high numbers of oocysts in their droppings.

Having said that, it's possible for birds that have been on absolutely hygenic litter to suddenly become overwhelmed when they're put on soil containing very tiny numbers of the parasite. And to add another complication, any immunity they develop is strain-specific, i.e. if they meet a new strain they may succumb. Thus you can sometimes see cocci before that 3 week time period or indeed at any age.

Most people use medicated starter from day 1 up to about week 6. Then they swtich to grower, which has lower protein and lower amounts of medication. A few people like me use no medications and then it's a matter of graduated exposure from the first day (increasing slowly), and some other preventive like soured milk.

That's a bit of a mixed up response but I hope it gives you some extra info you can use,
best wishes,
Erica

Edit: by the way, if they're already on medicated starter but develop symptoms, they definitely need corid or some other treatment. Don't just give it to the ones showing symptoms as the others are likely not far behind, so treat all the chicks at once.