Storey’s is a good book but it is not always complete. Letting them peck at dirt they will eventually live on will not prevent Coccidiosis but it can help them develop immunity to it. A whole lot of ground has the bugs that cause Cocci in it. It thrives in warm moist soil so in Georgia you need to be aware of it.
The problems from Cocci do not come from the bug being inside the chick. The problems come from the number of bugs getting out of control. That can be deadly. But with a few bugs in their system the chicks will develop an immunity in two to three weeks. To me immunity is a good thing so I give my chicks dirt from the run on the second or third day in the brooder and again at regular intervals.
The life cycle of that cocci bug involves some time out of the chicken’s system. After two or three days in warm wet soil it will develop inside a chicken if it is eaten and chickens are always pecking at dirt. What normally causes a problem with Cocci is that that bug thrives in wet soil, so if the soil is wet the chick eats a lot of the bugs and the numbers get out of hand. So exposing them to the bug plus keeping their area dry will go a long way in protecting them from Cocci. You also have to keep their water clean. That bug can thrive in dirty water too.
I think you will give your girls a good start by doing things like this to strengthen their immune system instead of keeping them in a sterile environment. Just keep their area dry as best you can.
