Someone break down Coccidiosis for me please!

[catobsessed]

I’m sorry, I know I posted this last night, but just wanted a couple more opinions. One of my girls had two droppings with some blood in them yesterday.

I’m a nervous chicken mother. I haven’t seen anymore blood in stools, but maybe that’s because the infection is still early? I have some corrid ready for pickup. Should I just begin treatment? They will be 3 months next week. I just hate to make the wrong decision! They are acting active and causing trouble like they normally do. I’m just not sure what call to make.

 

[Debbie292d]

Yes, go ahead with it. It won't hurt them regardless. Just don't give vitamins while they are getting the Corid water for 5-7 days, but be sure to supplement vitamins afterwards.

Way better to be safe than sorry!

 

[catobsessed]

Yes, go ahead with it.

You think I just caught it early? I’m just scared the meds will hurt them. I’ve never had this before in my decade of chickens! But I’m on the gulf coast, so as you can imagine my area seems like a breeding ground for the parasite from what I read.

 

[catobsessed]

Yes, go ahead with it. It won't hurt them regardless. Just don't give vitamins while they are getting the Corid water for 5-7 days, but be sure to supplement vitamins afterwards.

Way better to be safe than sorry!

Amen to that, Debbie!!! That’s what I was telling my mom last night. They aren’t getting medicated feed or anything so I can just jump in with this.

 

[Debbie292d]

You think I just caught it early? I’m just scared the meds will hurt them. I’ve never had this before in my decade of chickens! But I’m on the gulf coast, so as you can imagine my area seems like a breeding ground for the parasite from what I read.

Yes, Corid doesn't hurt them at all. Everyone will tell you it's safe, but yet, that's all medicated feed is, their crumbles with a 10th of the amprolium in it. Some people have blamed their chicks dying from medicated feed. I don't believe it for a minute. Chicks die, but not because they got a smidge of amprolium.

We raise silkies, so the downfall of using medicated feed is the same downfall as using Corid; it adds to their vitamin deficiency issues they can have. Thus, if using medicated, which I do rarely, I only do it for two weeks. Then followup with vitamin water one day, probiotic water the next, and rotate those two things for a couple of weeks. Tada, they're all back to normal!

 

[catobsessed]

Yes, Corid doesn't hurt them at all. Everyone will tell you it's safe, but yet, that's all medicated feed is, their crumbles with a 10th of the amprolium in it. Some people have blamed their chicks dying from medicated feed. I don't believe it for a minute. Chicks die, but not because they got a smidge of amprolium.

We raise silkies, so the downfall of using medicated feed is the same downfall as using Corid; it adds to their vitamin deficiency issues they can have. Thus, if using medicated, which I do rarely, I only do it for two weeks. Then followup with vitamin water one day, probiotic water the next, and rotate those two things for a couple of weeks. Tada, they're all back to normal!

Funny enough, I actually lost one of my pullets last week. She showed zero signs of anything being wrong, so I agree with you. Sometimes we lose chicks just because of a genetic issue like a bad heart, etc. doesn’t mean it wasn’t a gut punch though, I had a good cry after that.

As for the vitamin water, can I get it from tractor supply? If you have any brands to recommend please let me know!

Off topic, but your silkies must be gorgeous!!

 

[coach723]

Any poultry vitamin is ok, or you can use a human b complex tablet or capsule and give it directly. You can also use nutritional yeast, which is good for the B's. The particular vitamin that is affected with amprolium (corid) is thiamine, so make sure if you use a supplement to get one that contains that. I don't have silkies, but in all my years I've NEVER hurt a bird by giving Corid. If in doubt, treat. Corid will not hurt them, coccidiosis can kill them. Vitamin deficiency usually happens in birds that are low or deficient to start with, it can happen after treating with Corid, but it's not super common over all. I wouldn't personally supplement unless you see symptoms that suggest it might be an issue, but it won't hurt anything either, up to you.

 

[coach723]

If you are interested, there is a very good video on coccidiosis here, just under 13 minutes long, explains the disease, how it affects the birds gut, etc., very informative :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coccidiosis-video-worth-watching.1262022/#post-20259051

 

[nuthatched]

Corid will nor hurt them but coccidiosis can kill them.

 

[catobsessed]

Corid will nor hurt them but coccidiosis can kill them.

I really appreciate your help from last night btw. It’s just some friends I spoke to about it made me doubt myself so I figured I’d ask one more time, just to make sure I don’t jump into anything rash. But I think you and everyone else are right on this one here; might as well treat them.