Topic of the Week - Coccidiosis

[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.

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[Flufferes]

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.

Ohh, ok.
I knew, for example, a chicken couldn't make a dog sick from it's coccidia, but i didn't know a duck/chicken/etc couldn't infect the opposite poultry/waterfowl.
Thank you!

 

[Tarboxhollowpoultry.com]

You probably need to start the one with the bulging eye on antibiotics. Do you have any?

I do I have used antibiotics a couple of times, but was not sure if that was as beneficial as essential oils oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme mixed in a little yogurt with wormwood in the water. I will try the antibiotics again, thanks for your advice.

 

[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.

 

[Banana552]

One question
Can chicks be born with it
If they're mother has it?
Even if the mother didn't raise it?

 

[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.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

One question
Can chicks be born with it
If they're mother has it?
Even if the mother didn't raise it?

no a chick cannot be born with it