Information request, suggestions on coccidosis please

[LMSOV614]

This is my first year raising chickens, and I'm new to this forum. I have found this site to be absolutely priceless in educating me about chickens in any and every aspect over the last 4 months. I have some 5 and 6 month birds in the yard and decided I wanted to hatch my own next year. I purchased some more chicks recently because I wanted to add a new breed and I needed more hens of a breed of which I already have 3 rooters. 1 week ago the chicks quickly started looking ill (ruffled feathers, listless, not eating, etc.) and after losing 5 chicks in 3 days I did some quick research and came to the conclusion that I had a coccidosis outbreak on my hands. Because of information on this forum I got some Corid and started giving that to them diluted in their drinking water. A few more were lost before I realized that some were not drinking the treated water. I administered the corid directly to each chick, and they finally seem to be on the mend. Stools are no longer bloody, and the remaining chicks are all moving around, eating, drinking and even trying to dust bathe. I really thought I was going to lose the whole 3 dozen, but got lucky only loosing 9.

So I have a handful of questions that I could use some help with and I appreciate any responses that I can get. Once the chicks are cured are they still carriers that might infect other birds? Will they still lay and mate normally? Will any chicks hatched from them be infected, susceptible or carriers of the disease?

Thanks again for all your experience, expertise, and comments.
Laura

 

[chicmom]

Hello,

The Cocci are tiny little organisms that get into your chicks body sort of like having a parasite. Warm, wet weather, along with dirt make the perfect environment for the cocci. All chickens and other farm animals have some of this in their body. But little chicks aren't strong enough to handle the cocci. So this isn't like a disease or a virus.

When you're raising little baby chicks, just remember to be super careful to keep their environment clean and dry in the future, and you should be fine.

The chicks that have recovered from the cocci should be fine and mate fine, and have a normal life, normal eggs....Adults are usually immune to the cocci.

 

[LMSOV614]

Thank you so much, I am relieved. You made my day. I seem to maybe have one chick who has a little blood in the stool, but I've already give the five day treatment suggeted on the lable of Corid. They also list a 21 day treatment, do you think I should continue with this to make sure they are healthy again?

 

[chicmom]

I think I might go a bit longer than 5 days if there's blood still in the stool of one chick. That blood is often caused because the cocci causes irritation of the lining of the intestines. (I am no vet, that's for sure. Just sharing my experience.) I also used Duramayacin, which is an inexpensive powder antibiotic you can put in their water. That way, if they had infection due to the bowel irritation, then that was covered too. My chicks recovered fully.

So upsetting, isn't it--when the little chicks get sick! I'm so glad they're recovering or you!