Topic of the Week - Coccidiosis

[casportpony]

Good to know...I was under the impression that cocci was just a shortened word for coccidiosis.

That's what I used to think. Once my vet explained the difference I started using coccidia or coccidiosis instead.

 

[RRLaney]

Unfortunately, we have dealt with coccidiosis quite a bit. Last year we were clueless as to what it was, even after posting on this site multiple times about the symptoms. We lost a hen and 3 pullets last fall to it. Main symptom was just lethargy. We were calling it "sleepy chicken disease" because we couldn't diagnose it. I even took one of the pullets to the vet because I wanted answers and they ended up putting her down and doing an autopsy...even then I wasn't given a good answer. I was told she had an infection that spread to her heart. Anyways, all that frustration aside...we learned about coccidia the hard way.

A few months ago, my boyfriend's favorite chicken Brienne of Tarth (Bri) got "sleepy chicken disease". We were determined to save her so I took a stool sample to the vet immediately and they told me there was coccidia in her poop. 1 trip to the Farm Supply later and we had our cure!

From my experience, Corrid is a miracle cure. One dose and Bri was back on her feet. Funny story actually, we had her in a pen in the laundry room/pantry because it was so hot outside, and after one dose of Corrid she broke out and we found her laying eggs on the top shelf of our pantry lol. We kept her separated until the treatment was done and treated the entire flock, but she was the first hen with those symptoms that we were able to save! Thank goodness! Corrid saved our newest chicks as well.

If you have a lethargic chicken, definitely collect a stool sample, but don't wait to treat it! The first 4 we lost died within 36 hours of their symptoms!!

Sick Bri:

Bri starting to feel better, clearly :

 

[casportpony]

different strains of coccidia that affect different parts of the digestive tract:

Chapman, H.D. Coccidiosis in the turkey. Avian pathology 37:205-223. 2008.

Figure 3. Five turkey Eimeria species commonly associated with disease. Eimeria oocysts, location of infection along the intestine and lesions per species are shown (3,5,6).

http://www.uoguelph.ca/omafra_partn...a/Monitoring-for-success---Lesion-Scoring.asp





Above pictures are from:
From Penn State Poultry Health Handbook
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs52.pdf

 

[casportpony]

One of my favorite ducks had the name "Squeegee"
Squeegee was a female mallard who had regularly visited the yard since she was a duckling with her mom, Runty.
Long story short, Squeegee was a diseased varmint (big surprise -_-) and gave My hen coccidia.

Fear not, Squeegee did not give your chicken coccidiosis, that's because it's species specific, so ducks get duck coccidiosis, chickens get chicken coccidiosis, etc.

 

[azygous]

Thanks to Sumi for providing this thread and the opportunity to learn more about coccidiosis and the coccidia parasites that cause it, and how to be more precise in terminology when discussing them. I went back and edited my original post to reflect the correct terminology. Thanks @KikisGirls and @casportpony for bringing this to our attention.

 

[Eggcessive]

My chicks with the bulging eye condition had coccidiosis, and the eye condition developed about 10 days after the coccidiosis. There were several hit with coccidiosis, and a few have developed the bulging eyes. Any recommendations for what this condition is or how to treat it?

If I were you I would also start a new thread on the emergency forum here where you will get more advice about the swollen eyes:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/create-thread

I agree, it looks like a possible respiratory disease such as mycoplasma (MG) which is a chronic respiratory disease. Chicks get this from a carrier--either from their previous home or previous infection in birds in your flock, by wild birds, or passed through a hatching egg. Tylan 50 injectable (given orally or by injection) or a vet-prescribed antibiotic would be helpful to treat symptoms. They will be carriers for life more than likely.

 

[Kiki]

Sick Bri:
View attachment 1169914

Bri starting to feel better, clearly :
View attachment 1169920

I remember sick Bri.

HILARIOUS pic of the feeling good Bri!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My chicks with the bulging eye condition had coccidiosis, and the eye condition developed about 10 days after the coccidiosis. There were several hit with coccidiosis, and a few have developed the bulging eyes. Any recommendations for what this condition is or how to treat it?

I agree with Casportpony and Eggcessive, the swollen eyes are not from coccidiosis. That is another matter....and starting a thread in emergencies and illnesses would be good.

The coccidiosis likely lowered their immune system so that another opportunistic infection occurred.

Coryza, MG, and Avian Influenza come to mind. Even a bad case of infectious bronchitis (IB) could produce that kind of swelling. Or something else entirely.

It may be good to take them to a vet for diagnosis if you can. Tylan would be a broad based antibiotic. If they've been exposed to wild ducks, avian influenza is a possibility....but not a foregone conclusion.

LofMc

 

[azygous]

The coccidia eggs need to be consumed in order for a chick to become infected. This is not a disease that is passed vertically from an infected hen to her chicks via their egg.

However, if a broody hen is heavily infected with these parasites and she poops in the vicinity of the new chicks and the bedding or soil are damp and warm, it can speed up the development of more coccidia and the chicks, as they peck at the heavily infested soil, can then become infected.

In other words, if baby chicks are brought into an infected flock, they will probably get coccidiosis.

 

[Kiki]

Can't be 'born' with it but they can pick it up one DAY 1 of life.