Should I treat my chicks for coccidiosis???

I am not familiar with bacterial infections in new chicks so I really can't comment on them, If Op could get the meds you are talking about that would be wonderful!

@KikisGirls Just FYI, so you can know more about this number 1 killer of chicks during the first week, and for the OP:

Yolk sack infection or Omphalitis
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/chick-yolk-sac-infection-omphalitis

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/169/yolk-sac-infection-omphallitis/

Often the chick appears "squishy" and swollen during dry off. However, those that survive the initial 24 hours can have the more latent form, hiding away in their bowels.

The typical symptoms of these chicks are slow growth, lethargy, and head drooping. Death typically occurs at 5 to 7 days after hatch. One article states eColi is the cause 70% of the time. Salmonella is another major cause. Those that do survive are often the "unthrifty" ones.

Cure is to quickly provide antibiotics to the chick. Prevention is clean hatching conditions and using only stellar eggs. Hatcheries are human and get behind, trays aren't cleaned, genetics are weaker on some birds causing slower healing navals, etc. So some chicks hatch with infected guts. If you use brooding hens, like I do, you will get occasional omphalitis chicks (as a broody environment is hardly "sterile.")

So yes, we are back to the antibiotic question, which the OP really didn't want to use (and I understand her reluctance with antibiotic overuse in our culture).

To that end, I can then only suggest a strong, fresh Oregano mixture in water. The research I've read indicates 50 to 300 mg/kg daily of the effective ingredient carvacrol (the substance that works in oregano).

Since you state that you have the Durastat on hand, you could give this chick a fairly high concentration of that in water, eye droppered into its mouth.

Per label, Durastat states minimum of 8% Origanum (Oregano). From my studies, Oregano varies with carvacrol content from 25 to 75%...so let's assume 50% carvracol. I'm not sure how well carvacrol holds up to drying, as oils are volatile and should be fresh....but you've got it on hand.

So then...it's now math. :sick

Since Durastat is 8% Oregano minimum, let's assume a healthy concentration of carvacrol at 50%, so that means 4% carvacrol in Durastat (hopefully) per scoop.

The studies I've read show usage for young poultry as antimicrobial and antiviral at 50 to 300mg per kg....several used 100mg per kg...so let's use that as a start.

An average standard chick weighs about 50 grams at hatch and should double that the first week, so say 100 grams.

Doing the math (if I did it right), you would need 10 mg of carvacrol per week old chick per day.

Back to the Oregano....assume 50% rate of carvacrol, you need 20mg of Oregano for the chick.

Back to our label of Durastat at 8% Oregano....computing that per 4 gram scoop, you get 1/3 gram ( or .33g) of Oregano, or about 330 mg of Oregano per SCOOP...that's within the ballpark for effective concentration in feed/water according to the studies that have shown Oregano (carvacrol) effectiveness for bacterial growth prevention in broilers. ETA, so then you can dilute it by 1/10 to get a solution for the chick.

So, imho, if you wish to use Oregano as an antibacterial, you'll have to load them up with it using the freshest, strongest Oregano tincture you can find diluted in water enough to make it palatable.

As said, I LOVE the idea of herbals, but they are not as effective in crisis as drugs as you have to use a LOT. They are much better for maintenance and prevention. But you can try.

LofMc
 
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@Iovemypeeps

At some point you simply have to do the best with what you have on hand and hope for the best.

As hard as it is, strong normally healthy chicks survive. Those that aren't, don't. I have learned over the years to mourn but let those that are weak pass on. I've made heroic efforts only to regret it later as the bird is almost always a never-do-well that ends up bringing disease to the others.

Feed the medicated. Keep a good concentration of Oregano. See what happens. If you see any other chicks start to droop, I do highly recommend giving the Corid asap.

10 days is on the cusp, though still young. I still think it most likely to be lingering bacterial infection. After 2 weeks of age, then it is most likely coccidiosis with the typical symptoms of drooping, lethargy, and ruffled appearance.

Good luck with your new little flock. Chicken keeping isn't always easy, but it is almost always rewarding.

LofMc
 
@KikisGirls Just FYI, so you can know more about this number 1 killer of chicks during the first week, and for the OP:

Yolk sack infection or Omphalitis
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/chick-yolk-sac-infection-omphalitis

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/169/yolk-sac-infection-omphallitis/

Often the chick appears "squishy" and swollen during dry off. However, those that survive the initial 24 hours can have the more latent form, hiding away in their bowels.

The typical symptoms of these chicks are slow growth, lethargy, and head drooping. Death typically occurs at 5 to 7 days after hatch. One article states eColi is the cause 70% of the time. Salmonella is another major cause. Those that do survive are often the "unthrifty" ones.

Cure is to quickly provide antibiotics to the chick. Prevention is clean hatching conditions and using only stellar eggs. Hatcheries are human and get behind, trays aren't cleaned, genetics are weaker on some birds causing slower healing navals, etc. So some chicks hatch with infected guts. If you use brooding hens, like I do, you will get occasional omphalitis chicks (as a broody environment is hardly "sterile.")

So yes, we are back to the antibiotic question, which the OP really didn't want to use (and I understand her reluctance with antibiotic overuse in our culture).

To that end, I can then only suggest a strong, fresh Oregano mixture in water. The research I've read indicates 50 to 300 mg/kg daily of the effective ingredient carvacrol (the substance that works in oregano).

Since you state that you have the Durastat on hand, you could give this chick a fairly high concentration of that in water, eye droppered into its mouth.

Per label, Durastat states minimum of 8% Origanum (Oregano). From my studies, Oregano varies with carvacrol content from 25 to 75%...so let's assume 50% carvracol. I'm not sure how well carvacrol holds up to drying, as oils are volatile and should be fresh....but you've got it on hand.

So then...it's now math. :sick

Since Durastat is 8% Oregano minimum, let's assume a healthy concentration of carvacrol at 50%, so that means 4% carvacrol in Durastat (hopefully) per scoop.

The studies I've read show usage for young poultry as antimicrobial and antiviral at 50 to 300mg per kg....several used 100mg per kg...so let's use that as a start.

An average standard chick weighs about 50 grams at hatch and should double that the first week, so say 100 grams.

Doing the math (if I did it right), you would need 10 mg of carvacrol per week old chick per day.

Back to the Oregano....assume 50% rate of carvacrol, you need 20mg of Oregano for the chick.

Back to our label of Durastat at 8% Oregano....computing that per 4 gram scoop, you get 1/3 gram ( or .33g) of Oregano, or about 330 mg of Oregano per SCOOP...that's within the ballpark for effective concentration in feed/water according to the studies that have shown Oregano (carvacrol) effectiveness for bacterial growth prevention in broilers. ETA, so then you can dilute it by 1/10 to get a solution for the chick.

So, imho, if you wish to use Oregano as an antibacterial, you'll have to load them up with it using the freshest, strongest Oregano tincture you can find diluted in water enough to make it palatable.

As said, I LOVE the idea of herbals, but they are not as effective in crisis as drugs as you have to use a LOT. They are much better for maintenance and prevention. But you can try.

LofMc
WOW that sounds quite complicated!!! Lol! Thanks so much for doing all that research and math though! I hate doing math so that helps a lot! (If I can just figure out what you all wrote there ;) ) I've only been putting a tiny bit of oregano in their water because the bottle said one scoop for 4 gallons I think so i just did part of a scoop.. maybe I should just try to find the Di-Methox and use that, it sounds much easier ;) do you know if it is sold in stores or just online? And I would rather use antibiotics than have my chick die.. I haven't used anything on her yet other than the oregano/electrolyte/probioticwater because I've been waiting to hear back from you guys so I could decide what to do and I've just been keeping an eye on her... she doesn't seem to be getting much worse but I'm pretty sure now that there's something wrong after watching her for a while...if it was a yolk sac infection, wouldn't she have been showing symptoms since hatch then? She seemed very healthy for the first couple days we had her! And it said they normally die after 5-7 days, mine is 10 days..
 
Fwiw: You may want to read these two too.
They show that Coccidiosis can show symptoms as soon as 24 hours:

The oocyst sprorulates (develops so that it becomes infective) in as little as 24 hours under optimum conditions (a humid environment at 25-30ºC).
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/coccidiosis/index.aspx

and
Under proper conditions of temperature and moisture, the oocyst develops within one to two days to form a sporulated oocyst, which is capable of infecting other chickens. At this stage, the oocyst contains eight bodies (called sporozoites), each of which is capable of entering a cell in the chicken's intestine after the oocyst is eaten.
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex4616


Chicks can bring Coccidiosis home with them from the hatchery.
 
@Iovemypeeps

At some point you simply have to do the best with what you have on hand and hope for the best.

As hard as it is, strong normally healthy chicks survive. Those that aren't, don't. I have learned over the years to mourn but let those that are weak pass on. I've made heroic efforts only to regret it later as the bird is almost always a never-do-well that ends up bringing disease to the others.

Feed the medicated. Keep a good concentration of Oregano. See what happens. If you see any other chicks start to droop, I do highly recommend giving the Corid asap.

10 days is on the cusp, though still young. I still think it most likely to be lingering bacterial infection. After 2 weeks of age, then it is most likely coccidiosis with the typical symptoms of drooping, lethargy, and ruffled appearance.

Good luck with your new little flock. Chicken keeping isn't always easy, but it is almost always rewarding.

LofMc
@LadyofMcCamly
Thank you. For now I will keep doing that, feeding the medicated feed and oregano and see how she does and if I can find di methox I will start them on that...
 
Fwiw: You may want to read these two too.
They show that Coccidiosis can show symptoms as soon as 24 hours:

The oocyst sprorulates (develops so that it becomes infective) in as little as 24 hours under optimum conditions (a humid environment at 25-30ºC).
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/coccidiosis/index.aspx

and
Under proper conditions of temperature and moisture, the oocyst develops within one to two days to form a sporulated oocyst, which is capable of infecting other chickens. At this stage, the oocyst contains eight bodies (called sporozoites), each of which is capable of entering a cell in the chicken's intestine after the oocyst is eaten.
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex4616


Chicks can bring Coccidiosis home with them from the hatchery.
@KikisGirls
Thanks for the info!! I have been keeping the brooder very clean and dry though, when they were on paper towels I would clean them out twice a day and now that they are on pine shavings I clean it out about once a day or every 2 days unless it gets wet then I do it sooner.. and it is not very humid in our garage where they are... yes, unless maybe it got it from the hatchery
 
I was just on another thread were the OP lost quite a few in the first few days and the hatchery told her it's self that they were having issues with Coccidiosis.
 
By the way it's really not about which one of is right...we are not trying to be right.
Yes, I know, you are just trying to be helpful and giving me the information you are finding, which I really appreciate! There is always lots of conflicting information online when you research stuff... ultimately I just need to do what I think is best, I think it's definately possible to get coccidiosis at this young of an age but it's also possible it could be a bacterial infection as LofMc suggested.. I will try to find de-methox and if I can't find that I will start them on Corid tomorrow..
 

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