Oregon

[TripMomma]

With all the wet weather, do Oregon flocks deal with Cocci more so than other regions? Anything special that you do to ward it off?

 

[Garjzla]

My chickens look awful with all the rain and mud, but they seem pretty happy! If you want to help them stay warm and dry cover their pens with hay.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

With all the wet weather, do Oregon flocks deal with Cocci more so than other regions? Anything special that you do to ward it off?

I've wondered about that, and worried to some degree over that.

To date...either due to luck or whatever...I do not think I've ever had an outbreak of coccidiosis. I do put my young chicks on medicated chick starter to help them slowly develop an immunity, and I do practice strict bio-security (only mud boots in back yard, guests are in my mud boots).

I know it takes generally warm, moist environments, and having heavily soiled litter contributes to the overgrowth, so I've always strove to keep my coops and runs clean...but I can't say they are ever immaculate.

I wonder if in some Oregon areas, as my wet Portland, we generally get too much rain? Such that it washes the protozoa out? Most of our rain is cool as well.

In the summer, my yard dries out really well, so not enough moisture to keep protozoan colonies going....if maybe the numbers were washed out during the winter.

I know when the kids were in the appropriate grades, we would do samples around the yard and even local duck pond, and I was generally amazed at how LITTLE we would find in our yard samples (from mud puddles and such)...not because we weren't able to see it.

Anyway, I don't have any answers for you other than I personally have not seen issues with it, and none of my friends in this area have mentioned any issues with it.

I too am curious what other Oregonians have to say.

Lady of McCamley

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

With all the wet weather, do Oregon flocks deal with Cocci more so than other regions? Anything special that you do to ward it off?

We haven't had a problem with it here yet, either. "They" say it is extremely resistant to disinfecting agents, so very difficult to remove from an environment once it's there.

I think maybe we haven't had issues with it here mostly because we've only had birds on the property for a few years.

I also think "fresh air and sunshine" are useful, and I try to provide as much of both as is possible here in Oregon. My coop setup allows sunlight to reach the interior of the coop.

 

[Zanna]

With all the wet weather, do Oregon flocks deal with Cocci more so than other regions? Anything special that you do to ward it off?

I unfortunately have a lot of experience with cocci, have been raising/breeding birds here in Oregon for 8 years or so. I had many losses in the first few years due mostly to inexperience in recognizing the symptoms. Having done my "research" before I got my very first chicks, I put apple cider vinegar in the water from day one, supposed to help build immunity and I fed medicated chick starter. When I realized I had sick chicks I treated with Corid (amprol liquid) but often too late. As the years went on my methods developed and I have not lost a chick to cocci in a very long time. Almost every year I need to treat, last year, not a single case, very strange, talking about 5 - 20 batches of chicks throughout breeding season. Maybe my flock is building immunity (one can hope) as I know I have cocci, it is seen by the vet when I take poop samples to check for worms.

What I do now is no longer feed medicated feed or the ACV as it did not seem to make a difference. After the first few days in the house after hatch, my chicks go to a wooden brooder in a horse stall outside with their ecoglow. I do not keep the brooder immaculately clean, I used to, bleach/oxine/lysol, etc., etc. My belief now is they need some germs to build immunity, just not an overload. They get a container full of sand from the main flocks area and a clump of grass/dandelions/dirt. If they start to get sick - any signs of lethargy/wings down/puffy looking feathers (often seen before any bloody poops) I treat the whole batch immediately with Sulmet liquid, 2 TBS per gallon of water for 5 - 7 days mixing a fresh batch each day. You need to watch for the lethargy 7 - 10 days from when you add the outside soil. Broody raised chicks seem to not have a problem as they are exposed to the cocci immediately upon hatch and build their immunity from the beginning. I try to simulate that as best I can in my brooder when raising incubator hatched chicks.

Hope this helps!

Just sharing my experience and what has worked for me.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I unfortunately have a lot of experience with cocci, have been raising/breeding birds here in Oregon for 8 years or so. I had many losses in the first few years due mostly to inexperience in recognizing the symptoms. Having done my "research" before I got my very first chicks, I put apple cider vinegar in the water from day one, supposed to help build immunity and I fed medicated chick starter. When I realized I had sick chicks I treated with Corid (amprol liquid) but often too late. As the years went on my methods developed and I have not lost a chick to cocci in a very long time. Almost every year I need to treat, last year, not a single case, very strange, talking about 5 - 20 batches of chicks throughout breeding season. Maybe my flock is building immunity (one can hope) as I know I have cocci, it is seen by the vet when I take poop samples to check for worms.

What I do now is no longer feed medicated feed or the ACV as it did not seem to make a difference. After the first few days in the house after hatch, my chicks go to a wooden brooder in a horse stall outside with their ecoglow. I do not keep the brooder immaculately clean, I used to, bleach/oxine/lysol, etc., etc. My belief now is they need some germs to build immunity, just not an overload. They get a container full of sand from the main flocks area and a clump of grass/dandelions/dirt. If they start to get sick - any signs of lethargy/wings down/puffy looking feathers (often seen before any bloody poops) I treat the whole batch immediately with Sulmet liquid, 2 TBS per gallon of water for 5 - 7 days mixing a fresh batch each day. You need to watch for the lethargy 7 - 10 days from when you add the outside soil. Broody raised chicks seem to not have a problem as they are exposed to the cocci immediately upon hatch and build their immunity from the beginning. I try to simulate that as best I can in my brooder when raising incubator hatched chicks.

Hope this helps!

Just sharing my experience and what has worked for me.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

I think I've had good luck as I've gone to broody raised only. I had one *hint* of it from feed store chicks, who I put on medicated feed, which caused me to go to medicated feed as a standard. But now, a lot of the time I don't put my broody hatched chicks on medicated feed as I do think being broody raised allows them to develop immunity from mom, and I've had some issues with the medicated feed causing vitamin B deficiency in my broody raised chicks (seen as walking on toes oddly in the first week)..

Yeah, I've read too little and too much is the problem...too little cleaning and you've got nasty build up. Too much cleaning and you don't allow the birds to develop natural immunity.

Thanks for sharing the very early signs. I know once you get the bloody poop it's often too late in chicks.

LofMc

 

[TripMomma]

Thanks for the replies.

Zanna, thanks so much very helpful!

 

[Zanna]

Thanks for the replies.

Zanna, thanks so much very helpful!

You guys are welcome!

If you even think you suspect cocci, medicate! Don't second guess yourself. I was always so hesitant as I do not believe in medicating for no reason and I often have staggered hatches in the brooder together. Treating will not hurt them if done correctly and if not treated you could potentially lose every chick.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Is summer liquid something a person can pick up at a farm store like Wilco?

Thanks spellcheck! I tried to type Sulmet.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Is summer liquid something a person can pick up at a farm store like Wilco?

Thanks spellcheck! I tried to type Sulmet.

Yes, easily available from Wilco.