Medicated feed is a PREVENTATIVE. Coccidiostants are not a cure all, like all organisms they can be resistant, and cocci is a PROTOZOA. The amprolium in the feed inhibits the uptake of thamine. Any organism which is succeptable to the medication will have that pathway blocked. In the common cases of cocci, this pathway being blocked is sufficient for the chicks to be just fine. However, it does affect the thiamine uptake in the chicks too as it blocks a similar thiamine uptake system. This is a reason that medicated feeds have added thiamine. Extended or over treatment can be bad if done for too long as it can cause this deficiency in the body. However, I do not know how the sulfa based drugs act on the body or the organisms it is to treat. I use amprolium because it has no withdraw time like sulfa based drugs have. Sulfa based drugs can be carried in the meat and into eggs, which can be fatal for people who are allergic to sulfa based drugs.
By some definitions a coccidiostant is an antibiotic because it inhibits the growth of microorganisms. A protozoa considered an microorganism, thus cocciostants are often under the same title. That being said, like the common term antibiotic, the cocci CAN be resistant. No matter what treatment you start FINISH IT before doing another course of a different one if it does not work. Not finishing or only giving half doses is one of the major reasons for resistant organisms. The whole milk thing has not been provem other than being passed on as something to do. Do take into account that not all areas have problems with cocci. Just like blackhead, it is often a regional issue and it's intensity in your region may vary year to year, land to land, season to season.
Early exposure is always a good thing so that the chick's natural immune system has the antigens in which to develop their immunities. However, too much of the exposure before the immune system can handle it or something else lowering the immune system, any time in life, such as being the low bird on the pole, getting into a wet spot with more of the active protozoa, moving to a new home, being kept away from the feed and so on can be risk factors for an internal overload. It's not exposure to hen poo, but rather exposure to things that they will be encountering in their adult lives. Even mother hens with chicks can get cocci. An advantage of exposing chicks to adult birds in YOUR CLOSED flock is that it will give them a jump start on their immunities they need to develop for the particular bacteria and so on found on your soil in your birds. If your flock has mericks, Cholera, Respiatory diseases, or other problems, even lice/mites, treat that before you go off and get babies to replace them with. If you have an otherwise healthy flock, go ahead and let them share the same dirt as they will have to eventually. If they live together, horizontal transfer of chicken bugs to each other will be inevitable.
By some definitions a coccidiostant is an antibiotic because it inhibits the growth of microorganisms. A protozoa considered an microorganism, thus cocciostants are often under the same title. That being said, like the common term antibiotic, the cocci CAN be resistant. No matter what treatment you start FINISH IT before doing another course of a different one if it does not work. Not finishing or only giving half doses is one of the major reasons for resistant organisms. The whole milk thing has not been provem other than being passed on as something to do. Do take into account that not all areas have problems with cocci. Just like blackhead, it is often a regional issue and it's intensity in your region may vary year to year, land to land, season to season.
Early exposure is always a good thing so that the chick's natural immune system has the antigens in which to develop their immunities. However, too much of the exposure before the immune system can handle it or something else lowering the immune system, any time in life, such as being the low bird on the pole, getting into a wet spot with more of the active protozoa, moving to a new home, being kept away from the feed and so on can be risk factors for an internal overload. It's not exposure to hen poo, but rather exposure to things that they will be encountering in their adult lives. Even mother hens with chicks can get cocci. An advantage of exposing chicks to adult birds in YOUR CLOSED flock is that it will give them a jump start on their immunities they need to develop for the particular bacteria and so on found on your soil in your birds. If your flock has mericks, Cholera, Respiatory diseases, or other problems, even lice/mites, treat that before you go off and get babies to replace them with. If you have an otherwise healthy flock, go ahead and let them share the same dirt as they will have to eventually. If they live together, horizontal transfer of chicken bugs to each other will be inevitable.
