Severe Strain Of Coccidiosis - Middle TN- Ordered Baycox - PLEASE HELP ASAP- ANY LOCALS WILLING?

[RememberTheWay]

Seems this year is a pretty hard year for me and my flock. I am in middle Tennessee. Currently experiencing a particularly lethal strain of Coccidiosis on my farm that corrid is ineffective against. I'm overwhelmed and stressed to the max. I was finally gifted some very expensive and long awaited breeds of chicks that I paid 20+ per day olds for and now have been hot hard with Coccidiosis. I'm trying to prevent it from reaching more brooders or save as many as possible. They are going down VERY FAST. FASTER THEN IVE EVER EXPERIENCED.

I have ordered some toltrazuril but no telling how long that will take to get here
What I'm hoping is that there is someone local (middle Tennessee) that has some on hand that they would be willing to sell a small amount of it to me so I can prevent anymore deaths between now and when my shipment comes in? Is there anyone that can help? Nashville/Murfreesboro area? Willing to drive and hr or two to save them.

 

[SourRoses]

How old are these babies? They usually have to be a few weeks old at least before they contract coccidiosis. It's good you're getting the toltrazuril, that was recommended to me as well.

I have dealt with a really severe strain(s) of cocci before. Despite sanitary practices (sterilizing brooders, feeders, waterers, changing water daily and washing with soap regularly) and with preventative Corid dosing and treatment/drench doses at the first sign... I continued to lose chicks to it. It's always the ones you most want to keep!

Struggling to figure out where it was coming from, I finally tried an experiment where I just gave chicks bottled water from the start. No more coccidiosis.
After we moved, I tentatively tried the tap water here (city) and stopped Corid, what do you know but Decembers chicks didn't get coccidiosis.

My conclusion therefore is that it was coming from the well at the old place. When I mentioned this in a thread someone was like "Eww, sewage in your well", but it might not have been that. There was a pond nearby and Florida aquifiers often feed ponds. What if there was a backflow issue? I dunno but it's one guess. Probably would have needed a well specialist person to come diagnose it.

The few chicks I managed to save taught me a few things that might be helpful. One, temperature control. It usually hits during a stage where you're reducing heat levels. Problem is, the sickness makes them cold. I would often see one or two chicks fluffed up, alone in a corner while the other ran around happily, and I didn't realize that was an early sign to make a change. Even if you have to separate a batch of chicks to accommodate different temperature needs. When they're cold they stop eating. So keeping the needy ones warmer is important. Basically bring the heat lamp closer until they aren't floofed up anymore.
If they don't start eating and drinking again on their own, mix some sugar, water, and a little egg yolk (or substitute medicine for water, I usually did) in a syringe or dropper and either use the official method to get them to drink it, or my wimpy but patient method of just holding them (seated comfortably) and using the end of the syringe to lift the top of their beak just slightly and offer only 1 drop at a time, letting them close their beak and swallow on their own time before offering more. I am always scared of sending fluid down the wrong passage so I don't do it the official way.
The sugar helps perk them up and getting cuddled helps with their wacky temperature control. When you put them back in the brooder, if they're awake, set them next to the feed (under the light) and peck in the feed bowl like they're day old chicks again. Even if they only eat a crumb or two it's good for them to be trying. When they wake from their nap they may try again. I put a little water in their regular crumble to make a mash, as that's always more appealing to them than dry.

If the chicks are still eating on their own, that's a good sign. I try to give them probiotics from a good brand like probios, which tests for viability. Real yogurt with probiotics in it is good too, but double check the labels.

The thing to keep in mind with coccidiosis, if that's what they have, is that it's ripping up their intestinal lining, making them sore and poor eaters. In my experience it was the not eating that actually killed chicks. There are so many strains of cocci and the mode they cause death can be different, some can be more direct. I would avoid anything that can be harsh on the digestive tract. For that reason, I didn't give them electrolytes in the water, as the salt is very harsh on damaged tissue, and it's not advised by vets for other digestive disorders like ulcers. The feed should already have enough electrolytes in it to keep their systems balanced, IF they're eating.

 

[RememberTheWay]

How old are these babies? They usually have to be a few weeks old at least before they contract coccidiosis. It's good you're getting the toltrazuril, that was recommended to me as well.

I have dealt with a really severe strain(s) of cocci before. Despite sanitary practices (sterilizing brooders, feeders, waterers, changing water daily and washing with soap regularly) and with preventative Corid dosing and treatment/drench doses at the first sign... I continued to lose chicks to it. It's always the ones you most want to keep!

Struggling to figure out where it was coming from, I finally tried an experiment where I just gave chicks bottled water from the start. No more coccidiosis.
After we moved, I tentatively tried the tap water here (city) and stopped Corid, what do you know but Decembers chicks didn't get coccidiosis.

My conclusion therefore is that it was coming from the well at the old place. When I mentioned this in a thread someone was like "Eww, sewage in your well", but it might not have been that. There was a pond nearby and Florida aquifiers often feed ponds. What if there was a backflow issue? I dunno but it's one guess. Probably would have needed a well specialist person to come diagnose it.

The few chicks I managed to save taught me a few things that might be helpful. One, temperature control. It usually hits during a stage where you're reducing heat levels. Problem is, the sickness makes them cold. I would often see one or two chicks fluffed up, alone in a corner while the other ran around happily, and I didn't realize that was an early sign to make a change. Even if you have to separate a batch of chicks to accommodate different temperature needs. When they're cold they stop eating. So keeping the needy ones warmer is important. Basically bring the heat lamp closer until they aren't floofed up anymore.
If they don't start eating and drinking again on their own, mix some sugar, water, and a little egg yolk (or substitute medicine for water, I usually did) in a syringe or dropper and either use the official method to get them to drink it, or my wimpy but patient method of just holding them (seated comfortably) and using the end of the syringe to lift the top of their beak just slightly and offer only 1 drop at a time, letting them close their beak and swallow on their own time before offering more. I am always scared of sending fluid down the wrong passage so I don't do it the official way.
The sugar helps perk them up and getting cuddled helps with their wacky temperature control. When you put them back in the brooder, if they're awake, set them next to the feed (under the light) and peck in the feed bowl like they're day old chicks again. Even if they only eat a crumb or two it's good for them to be trying. When they wake from their nap they may try again. I put a little water in their regular crumble to make a mash, as that's always more appealing to them than dry.

If the chicks are still eating on their own, that's a good sign. I try to give them probiotics from a good brand like probios, which tests for viability. Real yogurt with probiotics in it is good too, but double check the labels.

The thing to keep in mind with coccidiosis, if that's what they have, is that it's ripping up their intestinal lining, making them sore and poor eaters. In my experience it was the not eating that actually killed chicks. There are so many strains of cocci and the mode they cause death can be different, some can be more direct. I would avoid anything that can be harsh on the digestive tract. For that reason, I didn't give them electrolytes in the water, as the salt is very harsh on damaged tissue, and it's not advised by vets for other digestive disorders like ulcers. The feed should already have enough electrolytes in it to keep their systems balanced, IF they're eating.

They are all between 3-5 wks old. This year has been especially hard on me and my tiny farm. I ordered chicks from Meyers that did not fair well in shipping and of 47 chicks 16+ died within 5days most died with 2 days. Then there is the silkies I'm dealing with at the moment with this ridiculous strain of Coccidiosis. It is particularly lethal. They have very dark bloody poops and they are going down so fast I almost don't have time to even attempt to prevent it. Corrid is not working and I'm ready to pull my hair out. I lost 8 chicks yesterday morning and then 5 more died before the evening. I decided to put some supplements in their water last night and when I got up this morning everyone left is still alive but I did see a big bloody poop on top of the brooder plate. I have done everything I can think of available me. Sterilizing the brooders, buying new brooders, keeping everything dry and clean, changing water several times a day, moving the sick to a separate warmer brooder. Despite my efforts they are still falling over dead and I am absolutely heartbroken.

I ordered from Jedds but it will be days before it is here IF they actually mail it out soon.

 

[SourRoses]

Since you already have Corrid on hand, have you done drench dosing? I didn't see you mention that.

For a drench, you put the medicine undiluted in a syringe and give it to them directly in the beak. I like to mix a little sugar in as it perks them up.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/corid-amprolium-oral-drench-instructions.74391/

I would also make certain you have the full, bigger treatment dose in their water. 2 teaspoons per gallon. You can use both the drenching and the treatment dose in their water safely.

Amprolium (Corid) is a B1 antagonist, meaning it deactivates that vitamin in the body. The cocci require B1 to reproduce. The amount of Amprolium needed depends on the amount of available B1. So if you give any supplements that have B1, it's working against the Amprolium.

 

[RememberTheWay]

Since you already have Corrid on hand, have you done drench dosing? I didn't see you mention that.

For a drench, you put the medicine undiluted in a syringe and give it to them directly in the beak. I like to mix a little sugar in as it perks them up.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/corid-amprolium-oral-drench-instructions.74391/

I would also make certain you have the full, bigger treatment dose in their water. 2 teaspoons per gallon. You can use both the drenching and the treatment dose in their water safely.

Amprolium (Corid) is a B1 antagonist, meaning it deactivates that vitamin in the body. The cocci require B1 to reproduce. The amount of Amprolium needed depends on the amount of available B1. So if you give any supplements that have B1, it's working against the Amprolium.

Amprolium does not work for every strain of coccidia. This particular strain seems to be one of them. Yes, I was already using the 2 tsp of powder and doing oral drenching. They are dying too quickly for anything I'm doing to even have time to work. I have never seen Coccidiosis this bad or this fast and I hope I never do again. This is terrible. Looks like we will just be waiting it out for the shipment. And in the meantime I will keep searching for answers and someone local. Proving very difficult ATM though to find someone close to me that can help.... unfortunately. Thanks for your suggestions though. Had I not already been doing them they might have been helpful