Oh no!!! Coccidiosis!!!!

[mp5girl]

There are at least 9 and maybe more coccidia strains that affect chickens. Other species get other strains. Chickens build up immunity gradually to what's in their home soil, but if they move, they can take their strain with them and infect others. Then they might get sick from the new strain in the new yard. Sulmet (a sulfa drug) only treats the 2 worst strains of cocci, and as Cafarmgirl said, it can be hard on them. Di-Methox is another sulfa drug that will treat cocci plus other diseases like coryza and some intestinal diseases. Corid (amprollium) or Ampromed is good to use since it gets all 9 strains in chickens. When chicks get coccidiosis, they will eat and drink for awhile, then stop eating, and later will stop drinking due to the abdominal pain. Somewhere between 11 and 20 weeks most chickens will become immune to the cocci strain on their property. By the way, while you are treating with Corid, do not feed them medicated feed.

It's a store made feed that is medicated with corid. Is that still an issue?

 

[Eggcessive]

It's a store made feed that is medicated with corid. Is that still an issue?

It's going to increase the amount of amprollium they are getting. I'm not sure if it will make that much difference if they are not eating and drinking, though.

 

[mp5girl]

Only 1 is not eating. Two are eating pretty good and one is just having a drink/bite here or there. So I figured collectively they might be getting a decent dose. Can it hurt???

 

[casportpony]

Amprolium is very safe and the times I've had coccidiosis *and* medicated feed, I don't go out and try to find non-medicated feed, I just keep feeding it. I guess I probably wouldn't give medicated feed *and* the preventative .006% dose at the same time as it's possible that one might see a thiamine deficiency using it for so many days, but 5-7 days of the .024% treatment *and* medicated feed, I don't worry, and like I said above, I have also given it as an oral drench...

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Only 1 is not eating. Two are eating pretty good and one is just having a drink/bite here or there. So I figured collectively they might be getting a decent dose. Can it hurt???

It has not hurt any of mine, ever.

-Kathy

 

[cafarmgirl]

I have always continued to feed the medicated feed when I have to treat with Corid. The amount of amprolium in medicated feed is pretty small anyway so you won't be adding much at all to the treatment. Amprolium, in any amount, will only be an issue if given continually and long term, as Casportpony said, you could possibly see a thiamin deficiency at that point I suppose.

 

[mp5girl]

You all are great! You're giving me hope! Thank you! Will keep all updated.

 

[casportpony]

Note that the doses listed in post #10 are per gallon and one should make fresh daily.

-Kathy

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Some baby chicks are vaccinated for coccidiosis at the hatchery. If you give these chicks medicated feed you are canceling out the good effects of the vaccinations. This is because the weakened strain of the protozoa used in the vaccine may be killed before immunity or tolerance is developed in the chick (14-21 Days) The same thing is true of coccidiosis medications. Do be advised that if you employ enough anti coccidiosis drugs for long enough you can and will breed a super strain of coccidiosis that only a vaccination will help banish.

 

[casportpony]

Some baby chicks are vaccinated for coccidiosis at the hatchery. If you give these chicks medicated feed you are canceling out the good effects of the vaccinations. This is because the weakened strain of the protozoa used in the vaccine may be killed before immunity or tolerance is developed in the chick (14-21 Days) The same thing is true of coccidiosis medications. Do be advised that if you employ enough anti coccidiosis drugs for long enough you can and will breed a super strain of coccidiosis that only a vaccination will help banish.

Curiously, is the vaccine effective against all known strains of of coccidiosis?

-Kathy