Ok. We have Coccidiosis..... what's the latest treatment advice?

[HollyOakFarm]

I am so very sorry for the chickens you lost! I found this thread because we are currently treating our 10 week old flock of 11 chicks with Corid for coccidiosis. We have been going through a very hot and humid time here in NE Indiana for over 2 weeks now. I feel like it's been very hard on their not-fully-developed immune systems.

By where the bloody poop is on the dropping boards in the coop, I think possibly 3 have the overgrowth, but we're treating everyone via water. I haven't had a fecal test done, simply went by blood in stool and observation. On the second day of treatment just one of our chicks was showing signs of lethargy and disinterest in food, but she would drink. I gave her some extra TLC and by the next day she was recovering and is good now as far as those symptoms go. None of the other chicks have symptoms other than the blood in stool.

I was looking for one of the same answers you were originally--how long does it take for the blood to clear up? We are on day 6 of treatment and I still saw blood this morning. Everyone is eating, drinking, foraging, etc...I am home all the time so I have been monitoring them closely! According to treatment protocol, today we should go down to 1/2tsp Corid/gallon of water for two more weeks, but I'm worried it might be too soon?

Any insight you have from your experience would be appreciated!

Hi! You are having the same kind of weather that got my flock going with Coccidia.
That definitely sounds like coccidia. My chickens did test positive.

This may or may not be what the group does, but this is what worked for me. So take it with a grain of salt. Every situation is different. I think we have a Corid resistant strain. Corid wasn't working for us. I switched to Baycox/Endocox and did a 3 day treatment, and that did the trick. From what I've read, there's a really wide safety margin for Corid.....so you are safe continuing treatment. My thought is, if your birds look much better - not puffy, not lethargic, then give them 1-2 weeks off from Corid. Supplement with multivitamins and Probiotics during the couple weeks off. Corid interferes with Thiamin and they'll need a supplement. Then do one more round for 1 week of Corid 2 weeks later to help interrupt the Coccidia multiplication. I'd try something different (Albon, Baycox) if they weren't looking significantly better 4-5 days into treatment. I've talked to 3 different vets about it, and have gotten 3 different answers. All agree it can be difficult to treat/get dialed in, especially when the environment is working against us.

 

[sillygolucky]

I've read that a concentrated ammonia is good to kill off any protozoa present. Don't bother with bleach, as it won't kill off the coccidia. Im still experimenting with the ammonia on my end, but at the very least, I submerge the feeders and waterers in a tub of water w/ammonia overnight. I hope your chicks will pull through!

Google quickly says, either boiling water and or 10% ammonia for sanitizing. Good luck!

Another edit: just realized you said coop.... I wouldn't know exactly the best choice for sanitizing a coop, especially if its wood. When i rear chicks, they are in my steel barn. They are on rubber mats, so when the batch of them are ready to go out and leave, I'll clean their stalls. Cleaning the floors and walls with ammonia.

Thanks for the info! I have considered getting some Oxine, as I have heard good things about it. I will do a little research on ammonia! And yes, I meant inside the coop...which yes, is wood. lol. Floor is covered with vinyl. The chicks have been out of the brooder for about 6 weeks now!

 

[sillygolucky]

Hi! You are having the same kind of weather that got my flock going with Coccidia.
That definitely sounds like coccidia. My chickens did test positive.

This may or may not be what the group does, but this is what worked for me. So take it with a grain of salt. Every situation is different. I think we have a Corid resistant strain. Corid wasn't working for us. I switched to Baycox/Endocox and did a 3 day treatment, and that did the trick. From what I've read, there's a really wide safety margin for Corid.....so you are safe continuing treatment. My thought is, if your birds look much better - not puffy, not lethargic, then give them 1-2 weeks off from Corid. Supplement with multivitamins and Probiotics during the couple weeks off. Corid interferes with Thiamin and they'll need a supplement. Then do one more round for 1 week of Corid 2 weeks later to help interrupt the Coccidia multiplication. I'd try something different (Albon, Baycox) if they weren't looking significantly better 4-5 days into treatment. I've talked to 3 different vets about it, and have gotten 3 different answers. All agree it can be difficult to treat/get dialed in, especially when the environment is working against us.

Thank you so much for all these suggestions! I'll have to simmer over all of it and decide what we want to do. Right now other than a few of them seeming a little skinnier, they are all eating great, drinking, and active.

I did do a quick search on the Baycox; what do you know about its safety for egg layers? Seems there are differing opinions. Obviously our 10-week-olds aren't laying, but I've seen a ton of articles/forum posts already where they say you should never eat eggs from a hen treated with it, but it's okay for meat birds.

 

[KauaiChickenMama]

Aloha, I’m reading over your thread and learning a lot. I have a 2 1/2 week old chick that I’m currently trying to help. I didn’t realize how big of a problem this was or how common.

How are things going now? What did you end up using? I was kind of surprised that three different vets told you three different things, lol. I’ll be looking forward to your update, thanks.