Should I extend the number of days treating with Corid?

[Renee]

Hi y'all,

I bought a pretty twelve week old Gold Comet about two weeks ago. About a week ago she began showing blood in her stool. It seems that she was raised on organic feed and had never been on the dirt before, so I suspected Coccidiosis and tracked down the only bottle of Corid in the greater Ventura County area (cost: 34.95).

She has been on the Corid (9.5%) for five days now: one teaspoon per gallon of water. She is also on medicated chick starter.

Here's the problem: she still has blood in her poop. Not much, but enough to see. Should I keep her on the Corid for another few days? How long? Should I put two teaspoons per gallon instead of one?

Thanks for your input on this- I just love her to death. She's a cuddly little thing.

Renee

 

[tazcat70]

I am not sure. She may still be showing symptoms but the level of Cocci may be at a level where she can learn to manage it on her own. Maybe someone that is more knowledgeable will see this.

 

[Renee]

Thanks for your reply.
I kept her on it for a week, and tomorrow I guess I'll take her off of it and see what happens.
Renee

 

[PunkinPeep]

I would not continue to treat her. If it is still from the cocci, she needs to have some chance to develop her resistance, in my opinion.

Also, Corid works by blocking the absorption of vitamins. She needs a chance to bounce back from that.

I would, however, give her lots of yogurt and/or buttermilk mixed with her feed or something. Milk products help her form a mucous coating in her intestines which can be helpful to soothe when there is a cocci outbreak. If it were me, i would watch her closely, feed milk products, and possibly some scrambled eggs and then reevaluate after another five days. Then as soon as you notice she seems to be having normal bowel movements, i would supplement with an appropriate vitamin in the water to help her further recover.

One more thing, be sure you're dealing with cocci type bloody poops. Sometimes there are normal poops in which the chicken sheds some intestinal lining, and it can look a little bloody. I know when i'm kind of cocci-aware, i can sometimes mistake one for the other unnecessarily.

How is she acting other than the poop? Does she appear active and eating and drinking well?

 

[Renee]

Hi PunkinPeep,
Yes, she is very healthy and aware. I know about the intestinal shedding, but it strikes me she would not have any intestines left at this rate if that was really the problem. There was blood in every poop.

I took her off of the Corid yesterday, and I will follow your advice about the dairy and egg supplements.

Since she is still on medicated chick starter, should I supplement with the vitamins beginning next week? Or would that defeat the purpose, since there is a little amprolium in the chick starter?

Thank you for your response!
Renee

 

[PunkinPeep]

I would go ahead and start a vitamin supplement as i said, personally. The amount of Amprolium in the starter is minimal, and she needs the vitamins in order to recover.

I also wouldn't worry about continuing on that medicated starter next time you buy feed. Two weeks is just about how long it usually takes for them to get infested after being on new ground. After this, she should have sufficient resistance.

I am surmising now when i say that maybe the blood now is leftover problems from the major infestation, and she's healing and growing in the new stuff. Let's just hope. If she's acting healthy, then that's a great sign, in my opinion.

Can't wait to hear how she is. I expect those bloody poops will begin to disappear.

edited to add: I meant to say i would start the vitamins after the five days of milk products - so long as she is still showing signs of recovery.

 

[andisgarden]

I am not an expert but, I have read other threads and from what I read you should have been adding 2tsp to a gallon so that could be the problem. Undermedicating just gives the bacterium a chance to build up resistance. This is just my 2 cents.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
The recommended dose is closer to one teaspoon per gallon. However, quite a few do use as much as twice that with excellent results.

 

[Suechick]

Also, Cocci is not a a bacterial infection, it is a parasite so you dno't have to worry about developing "resistant" strains.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccidia