INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Regarding coccidiosis, this is one of those things that make getting chicks later in the year more of an advantage. The thing with coccidiosis is that it comes from an overload of cocci in the gut, and cocci are inactive in dry soil. With how wet it's been, it's not a surprise that coccidiosis would be occurring. Cocci are everywhere and each area will have its own unique combination of strains, and so chicks that have been exposed to the outside on one property may still come down with coccidiosis if moved to another property.

I disagree with medicating preemptively, though I won't go into that. What I personally do every year is I get some dry sod (making sure that the soil is totally dry!) or dry dirt for a dustbath and put it in the brooder for the chicks to be exposed to it. That first exposure with inactive cocci will allow them to start building up immunity naturally. I am not an all-natural type of gal and I will medicate them if I see signs of coccidiosis. However, using this method, I have yet to have an outbreak of coccidiosis, nor have I had a single chick fall ill with coccidiosis as a result.


Of course, this won't work if there is already coccidiosis present. If there is, the only thing you can do is dose them. I'm not sure if anyone has already posted the doses, but here they are:

For Corid (Amprolium 20%) soluble powder, dose 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water for no less than 5 days.
For Corid (Amprolium 9.6%) liquid, dose 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons per gallon for 5 to 7 days.

If you can't find Amprolium, or if it fails to cure the coccidiosis, you can use Sulmet liquid at the rate of 2 tablespoons per gallon for two days, and then one tablespoon per gallon for an additional 4 days. Sulmet is harsher on the gut and only recommended as a last resort after Amprolium.




I know, blah, blah, blah... My brain is burnt out from chemistry lecture and lab this morning, so sorry if I'm rambling.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Regarding coccidiosis, this is one of those things that make getting chicks later in the year more of an advantage. The thing with coccidiosis is that it comes from an overload of cocci in the gut, and cocci are inactive in dry soil. With how wet it's been, it's not a surprise that coccidiosis would be occurring. Cocci are everywhere and each area will have its own unique combination of strains, and so chicks that have been exposed to the outside on one property may still come down with coccidiosis if moved to another property.

I disagree with medicating preemptively, though I won't go into that. What I personally do every year is I get some dry sod (making sure that the soil is totally dry!) or dry dirt for a dustbath and put it in the brooder for the chicks to be exposed to it. That first exposure with inactive cocci will allow them to start building up immunity naturally. I am not an all-natural type of gal and I will medicate them if I see signs of coccidiosis. However, using this method, I have yet to have an outbreak of coccidiosis, nor have I had a single chick fall ill with coccidiosis as a result.


Of course, this won't work if there is already coccidiosis present. If there is, the only thing you can do is dose them. I'm not sure if anyone has already posted the doses, but here they are:

For Corid (Amprolium 20%) soluble powder, dose 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water for no less than 5 days.
For Corid (Amprolium 9.6%) liquid, dose 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons per gallon for 5 to 7 days.

If you can't find Amprolium, or if it fails to cure the coccidiosis, you can use Sulmet liquid at the rate of 2 tablespoons per gallon for two days, and then one tablespoon per gallon for an additional 4 days. Sulmet is harsher on the gut and only recommended as a last resort after Amprolium.




I know, blah, blah, blah...

My brain is burnt out from chemistry lecture and lab this morning, so sorry if I'm rambling.

My chicks have been outside for a couple of weeks now and seem ok. I do still have them on the medicated chick feed. I wonder if that has helped. Are the still susceptible at this point? Now I'm going to stress! It has been really wet!!

 

[raisinemright]

Just messing around trying to figure out some spots for roost. The "big girls" are digging the new set up lol oh yeah the kids still playing monopoly!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: I was hoping to hear that she had been laying all that time and she did!

So now, another question. As she aged, did she lay less and less? For example, at year 7 did she lay less than at year 4?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Oh...and so far all my littles go right into the coop with the old deep litter from everyone else with no problems w/cocci so far. And no medicated feed. Exposure builds immunity.

But my litter is dry.

And if I was brooding in the house, I'd take some of the litter right from the hen shed and mix it into the shavings I give the littles to expose them as soon as possible.

Quote: http://www.plamondon.com/faq_deep_litter.html




Thought I'd edit to say that a bit of ammonia in the litter has actually been found to deter cocci. I know everyone is afraid of ammonia and for good reason if it is in EXCESS with not enough ventilation. But a little is a good thing to deter cocci and if there is a litter build-up there will always be a bit of ammonia present.


Quote: http://www.plamondon.com/faq_deep_litter.html

 

[MissMelMc68]

Welcome to the Indiana Thread! The chick is adorable. One of the bigger bouffants I've seen on a baby polish!

Thank You... lol hoping it's not a roo

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

 My chicks have been outside for a couple of weeks now and seem ok.  I do still have them on the medicated chick feed.  I wonder if that has helped.  Are the still susceptible at this point?  Now I'm going to stress!  It has been really wet!!

No, if they've been out there for a couple weeks, you would have seen signs of coccidiosis by now if they were going to get sick. Once they're exposed, they have had the chance to build up immunity to the cocci. Also, if they are outside and have been exposed to the soil, they don't need medicated feed anymore.

I was  hoping to hear that she had been laying all that time and she did! 

So now, another question.  As she aged, did she lay less and less?  For example, at year 7 did she lay less than at year 4?

Yes, but it wasn't very gradual. At about 3 years was when her production dropped the most. That seems to be the average for all my older hens.

 

[ellymayRans]

No, if they've been out there for a couple weeks, you would have seen signs of coccidiosis by now if they were going to get sick. Once they're exposed, they have had the chance to build up immunity to the cocci. Also, if they are outside and have been exposed to the soil, they don't need medicated feed anymore.
Yes, but it wasn't very gradual. At about 3 years was when her production dropped the most. That seems to be the average for all my older hens.

There are atleast 10 different types of Cocci so just because they've been exposed to one or some there's always the risk until they are older. That's one of the many reasons that it's recommended that you not wear shoes on your place from other grounds.

There's a ton of literature out there..go take a gander.
It's really been an eye opener for me and find being safe is better because it's really easy to prevent. I had some in the beginning with no issues but a couple different batches I wasn't so lucky. .that's all.

 

[racinchickins]

Update on my eggs in the 'bator.

I actually intended to just do one setting in my cabinet incubator so that I could hatch them in the incubator, but.....Jchny2000 gave me 3 BR turkey eggs, THEN my turkey eggs turned out to be fertile, THEN I saw an auction for Blue/Gold Partridge Brahmas that I just HAD to have. THEN a fellow BYCer on here asked if she could rent space in my incubator to hatch eggs for her......suddenly the addiction had been just a bit overfed. So i'll have to break out the hatcher too.

Candled all the eggs tonight, and (break for product endorsement.) I used a Brinsea Ovascope. It is amazing! You can even candle the eggs in a lit room during the day. It magnifies too, so you can see so much detail. I could spend hours watching the chick moving around in there if I didn't have to get them back into the incubator. (end product endorsement).

Day 17 (lockdown tomorrow!)
I started with 28 Bresse eggs. I'm down to 26. I had two early quitters and one that on day 7 looked iffy, but looks great now.

Out of 10 Cream Legbar eggs, 7 left. 1 quitter at 7 days, 2 more between day 7-15.

Day 16
All 3 BR turkey eggs from Jchny2000 are going strong,,,,Yay! I think the Bourbon Reds are soooo gorgeous.

Day 11
All 7 Brahma eggs are a loss. no development and thoroughly scrambled air cells. No kudos to the post office on this shipment.

Day 7
7/10 of my turkey eggs showing veins and development. 3 clears. These will be either pure Royal Palm or a Palm/Narraganset cross.

Day 0
Just set 18 more of my turkey eggs and 12 'rental' chicken eggs.


If anyone is interested, I'll have the Bresse chicks, and all RP and RP cross poults for sale/trade/barter upon hatching. Possibly legbars depending on boy/girl ratio.

 

[PeacefulWalls]

So, incase people are getting stressed out a out the price of coops, remember that anything that will keep them dry and out from the wind will likely work great as a coop. Example: my 3 clearance $15 or $20 dog houses!


Obviously they aren't going to work for a lot of birds, but I have a trio of tolbunts in one, 5 bantam Cochins in another and,y pair of LF in the other.

Looks like a chicken camp -- do they get to sign up for recreational activities & have meals in the dining hall?!

Just messing around trying to figure out some spots for roost. The "big girls" are digging the new set up lol oh yeah the kids still playing monopoly!

Hope the chickens don't add their own "playing pieces" to the gameboard

Congrats on the coop!