Preventative Dose Of Corid For Baby Chicks?

[O.C.Chick]

CAN ANYONE PROVIDE ME WITH THE CORRECT DOSAGE OF CORID 9.6 AMPROLIUM FOR PREVENTATIVE USE/ BUILDING IMMUNITY IN BABY CHICKS?

I have healthy 6-day old chicks on non-medicated feed, but have had two bad strains of Eimera (coccidia) diagnosed in my older hens in the past, which has wreaked havoc on the health of my flock. It is unavoidable that the chicks have been or will be exposed to it. I had purchased the live vaccine Cocci-vac D, but have now been advised by a vet from Fort Dodge Animal Health NOT to give the vaccine but rather to give the mild, preventative dose of Corid to the chicks while they build up their immunity.

I have Corid 9.6 Amprolium. The regular (treatment) dosage is 9.5 cc (1 tsp) per gallon. Can anyone give me the correct dosage for PREVENTATIVE use?

Thanks!!!

 

[chickenzoo]

I give the same dose no matter what, but that's just me. You may just be better off using medicated feed, since that has the Corid preventative in it already......and keep the Corid liquid for suspected outbreaks.

 

[O.C.Chick]

I remember reading on the bottle that there was a lower dose for preventative...I think it was half or 1/4 the dose, but I can't remember for sure... the label is no longer legible.

I prefer NOT giving them the medicated feed because it also has antibiotics (which they don't need) and a lot of other ingredients that I prefer not giving them. I hesitate to dose them at full strength with the Corid, especially for 21 days, since amprolium affects thiamine and they are growing chicks. So I'm wondering if anyone knows what the 21 day preventative dose is.

Thanks!!!

 

[lemurchaser]

Standard medicated chick food does NOT have antibiotics in it. The only medication in it is a coccidiostatic drug, either amprolium or a similar drug.

I would dose at full strength because it doesn't kill the coccidia, it just slows the growth. And since you have a known coccidia present, treatment and preventive would be about the same. In the vet med drug handbook it has the dose as 2mL per gallon of the 9.6% Amprolium (or says refer to bottle). You should also supplement with B-vitamins.

ETA: Upon doing a little more research some chick foods have antibiotics, but many of them do not, Purina start and grow only has amprolium in it.

 

[O.C.Chick]

Thanks Lemurchaser. Unfortunately the only medicated chick starter available within 45 minute driving range is MannaPro which also has a '...cycline' antibiotic if I remember correctly. Since I already have the Corid, I prefer using that, and not changing their feed.

So would you recommend I give it at full strength (1 tsp per gallon) for 5 days?

 

[kathyinmo]

O.C.Chick :

Thanks Lemurchaser. Unfortunately the only medicated chick starter available within 45 minute driving range is MannaPro which also has a '...cycline' antibiotic if I remember correctly. Since I already have the Corid, I prefer using that, and not changing their feed.

So would you recommend I give it at full strength (1 tsp per gallon) for 5 days?

1 tsp = 5cc I give 10 cc per gallon of water, and I give it for 5 days.​

 

[O.C.Chick]

You are right!!! I feel so stupid...So much for my metric skills!!! I must have converted 9.5 cc's wrong the first time I tried to figure the dosage out, and I've had 1 tsp per gallon memorized as the dose all this time! And no wonder my chickens never responded that well!

THANK YOU!

 

[lemurchaser]

The real recommendation for poultry is to follow the bottles label. The 2 mL per gallon is for all birds. I would go with the 1 tsp per gallon, these drugs usually have a wide safety margin (although I don't know that's true with this drug). I'd go longer than 5 days. They recommend the medicated chick food for 6 weeks, because it slows the growth of the coccidia allowing for the birds to make their own immunity. You can't get immunity in 5 days. And since the drug doesn't kill the coccidia, I can't imagine how 5 days would be beneficial. If you've got bad coccidia around, I'd treat until they are 6 weeks old and I'd supplement with extra B-vitamins (Poly-sol liquid vitamins that others often recommend should work fine). I wouldn't put the vitamins in the water with the drug though, I'd give it to each chick daily, because if amprolium blocks thiamine absorption you don't want them in the same source.

Just one more thing, if these guys are isolated inside, then the risk of coccidia is low. You really want to treat for a couple weeks past the time they hit the dirt outside. And honestly if you are going to treat, I'd get a few days worth of drugs into them, and then sprinkle some dirt in the brooder to start exposing them slowly. The reason behind medicated food is that most chicks are exposed to dirt between birth and 3 weeks old, so you treat until 6 weeks to cover your bases. The life cycle of the coccidia takes a couple of weeks, so they get sick a couple weeks after first exposed. Its during that initial lifecycle that you want to be supressing the coccidia so the chicks can fight it.

 

[O.C.Chick]

Maybe 1 tsp per gallon was the 21 day preventative dose...

Since they do not yest show symptoms, which is the best way to build immunity? It seems like the weaker 21 day dose is designed to allow some of the cocci to live, but not to overwhelm the system while the bird has time to build immunity. I believe this is the same concept as puttin low dose amprolium in starter feed..

If the higher dose kills most of the cocci quickly...Does that also build immunity, or not?

Any thoughts on that theory???

 

[lemurchaser]

O.C.Chick :

Maybe 1 tsp per gallon was the 21 day preventative dose...

Since they do not yest show symptoms, which is the best way to build immunity? It seems like the weaker 21 day dose is designed to allow some of the cocci to live, but not to overwhelm the system while the bird has time to build immunity. I believe this is the same concept as puttin low dose amprolium in starter feed..

If the higher dose kills most of the cocci quickly...Does that also build immunity, or not?

Any thoughts on that theory???

Amprolium cannot kill coci, it just slows the growth. I would go with the treatment dose unless you can find what the bottle recommends. Too low of a dose can be worse by making coci that can resist the low dose and making the drug ineffective. Regardless of dose, the coci live, they just can't replicate effectively and this gives the bird a chance to build immunity before the coci complete their lifecycle. At least this is my understanding of it all.​