How long are chickens contageous after coccidiosis? No one seems to know this answer.

[southerngirl29]

I'm wanting to know when it's safe to sell my juveniles? We had cocci spread through the chicks from new juveniles I had bought about a month and a half ago. They've all been treated and have fully recovered. I breed and sell chickens, and I'm wondering if it's safe to sell these now? None are sick whatsoever, and haven't been for a long time. I don't want to expose other peoples flocks to cocci. Please let me know!!!


(on a side note, I'm wondering if immunity to cocci is passed down through genetics?)

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If the birds no longer have cocci then they are not contagious. Unlike other disease where there are carriers not expressing symptoms cocci is a parasite so if the parasite is neutralized in the digestive tract then the feces is no longer contagious.

Birds have to build up immunity and why chicks are so susceptible. Immunity is not genetic.

 

[Finnie]

Immunity is not genetic.

Yes it is. Breed from chickens with healthy immune systems, to increase your flock's resistance to health problems in general.

ETA: I may have misunderstood. While healthy immune systems are passed on to offspring, it is true that each chick does have to build it's system up and won't have it fully functioning right at hatch. But whether it is capable of building a good system is definitely inherited.

 

[centrarchid]

Once the birds are infected, they are always infected. All birds will carry them at low levels but sickened birds will have higher concentrations and shed more into the environment that birds not acclimated with have troubles with.