preventing Coccidiosis using organic feed

[speckledhen]

I'm sorry, but that is not all there is to cocci, just keeping things clean. My brooder is cleaner than clean. They do not get cocci until they have been on the ground, no matter when that is, at two weeks old or five weeks old. Oocycsts are in the soil and there are 9 kinds of them in all. My brooder is clean, the grow out coop is clean, my waterers are clean and I even lime the small grow out pen. They are on medicated feed from the start and still, each new group that hits the ground gets cocci, so I am giving up on medicated feed and will treat outbreaks, not with Sulmet, which is no good on all cocci types, but with concentrated Amprolium (Corid).
I'm saying all this to tell people that you can do everything right and they can still get cocci. If you can vaccinate for it, that'd be great, but not sure if that negates the organic thing.

 

[cluckychick]

I don't disinfect between chicks. Cleanliness is not the key because as soon as they hit dirt they get it from the soil. Leaving dust and dirt in your brooder is a good thing actually because it allows the chicks to peck at it and build immunities.

Edit to add: I've yet to have an outbreak of cocci (knock on wood)

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

When I say clean, I don't say sanitized, the chicks must build up immunity, I always put a few older chicks in with the new ones because they need to slowly get use to the 'bug', and when I say dry, the poo for the chicks need to dry fast in the brooder. I sound bad but chicks need to eat a little poo. that's y chicks raised on wire have more of a chance to get cocci once they get off the wire.

 

[purecountrychicken]

That dont make sence to me cuz I was told cocci is something chicks are born with and you can not vaccinate for it. My chicks got cocci at age 3 weeks and never went outside, never touched ground.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, clean is a relative term, LOL. The clean is not overboard, though I do clean between batches of chicks, in case of some communicable thing other than the cocci. My brooder is clean for a brooder, but I do consider it clean, not filthy. There's poop in there, in other words.
I posted excerpts in another thread from an article that implies that medications are not as effective as they used to be. for cocci. The "germs" are changing in our world. We cant just say, keep it clean and dry and you will never get cocci in your chicks because, though that is the minimum we can do, they may still get cocci.
I think the best thing is just to feed non medicated feed, keep up on sanitation and treat if necessary. My first flock did not get cocci and they were on the same ground as all the other batches of chiciks after them. Why is that? I dont know, unless the Amprolium in feeds at the preventative levels just isn't working OR perhaps there is a new strain of cocci that wasn't here before, that they are not immune to. It's a mystery.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

yes its in every chick, its a 'bug' for use of a better word, if the chicks get to much to fast they have like a allergic reaction. it need to be slow so they build up immunity