where does Coccidia Eimeria come from?

[coach723]

I start with dirt from outside the chicken run. Then I start adding a small amount from the chicken run, keeping in mind the idea of gradual exposure. I have not had an outbreak in about 4 years since doing this with all brooder raised chicks. They get exposed this way the same as if they were raised by a broody hen. I do keep Corid on hand whenever I have chicks. Having dealt with it in the past I want to be prepared to treat quickly if there are any signs, but I've not had to do it for some time. But if I do have one get sick, I'm ready to treat right away.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Surface soil. To maximize the benefits, we dig a cump of living sod. That way there are other microbes in the soil that help build strong immune systems, along with the gradual exposure to local coccidia.

It doesn't matter where. Coccidia are everywhere.

Thank you for replying. You're the best, really.
Should I go ahead and start this maybe tomorrow? I have chicks that range from as old as 7 days and down to just hatched today. They're being brooded together so the oldest haven't been outside. I was too afraid after losing Raymona. I can't go back and change things for her, but exposing them to small amounts at a very young age, will help some. How often do you change the soil? We've had A LOT of rain lately. Everything still applies, right? With this much rain, maybe they'll be exposed to more strains in amounts their bodies can handle and provide protection for, right? Being exposed to multiple types isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as it's small amounts they can handle. Is this correct? I do have (and will always have) Corid and Sulfa on hand.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I start with dirt from outside the chicken run. Then I start adding a small amount from the chicken run, keeping in mind the idea of gradual exposure. I have not had an outbreak in about 4 years since doing this with all brooder raised chicks. They get exposed this way the same as if they were raised by a broody hen. I do keep Corid on hand whenever I have chicks. Having dealt with it in the past I want to be prepared to treat quickly if there are any signs, but I've not had to do it for some time. But if I do have one get sick, I'm ready to treat right away.

Thank you. I have a plan in mind now, thanks to you both. So the bloody poop is only a sign for a couple of strains, right? What other signs do you lookout for? Just any type of "sickly" behavior in chicks and adults since there are many signs? I apologize for so many questions. I just want to make sure that I don't miss it again, if it should arise again.
@tpereira i hope you don't mind me asking these questions on your thread. I apologize if so. I know that you want to treat anything that may come arise organically. I applaud you for looking into things like this so thoroughly. It happens way too often and is missed way too often. If I didn't miss bloody poops leading up to my sweet girl becoming so I'll, I probably wouldn't have lost her. I could have shared that and I know that azygous and Wyorp Rock would have known exactly what was going on in the beginning. It's amazing how much poop can tell about the health of a bird.

 

[tpereira]

Thank you. I have a plan in mind now, thanks to you both. So the bloody poop is only a sign for a couple of strains, right? What other signs do you lookout for? Just any type of "sickly" behavior in chicks and adults since there are many signs? I apologize for so many questions. I just want to make sure that I don't miss it again, if it should arise again.
@tpereira i hope you don't mind me asking these questions on your thread. I apologize if so. I know that you want to treat anything that may come arise organically. I applaud you for looking into things like this so thoroughly. It happens way too often and is missed way too often. If I didn't miss bloody poops leading up to my sweet girl becoming so I'll, I probably wouldn't have lost her. I could have shared that and I know that azygous and Wyorp Rock would have known exactly what was going on in the beginning. It's amazing how much poop can tell about the health of a bird.

no no-not upset at all! I’m appreciative of all your questions. Questions I wouldn’t know to ask. I’m going to the store tomorrow to see if they have the medication to keep on hand for just in case. I want to try and get them started ASAP on acclimating to our environment. Thank you all for so much information!

 

[coach723]

Symptoms of coccidiosis are lethargy, sitting fluffed up, isolating themselves, going off food/water, runny or mucousy or bloody droppings. Sometimes they can have balance or coordination problems. It's correct that only some strains will present with blood. Any time a chick or young bird displays any of the symptoms then coccidiosis should be considered, and if in doubt, it should be treated. Corid is very safe and will do no harm even if it's something else. Other times it should be considered, even with older birds, is if new birds have been brought into the flock (they may bring in a new strain), birds are moved to new ground (may expose them to a new strain), or if you have had a period of wet weather where the ground stays moist for a period of time (wet, warm conditions contribute to what is called a 'coccidia bloom', where the numbers of available oocysts in the environment can be increased). Some strains are more virulent than others and can progress and kill very quickly, others are less virulent and you may have more time. All of them can kill if left untreated, and the longer before treatment is started the more damage will be done to the digestive tract.
You might be interested in this thread, video in post #1 that is very informative on what the coccidia do to the digestive tract, how common it is, etc. It's worth watching.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coccidiosis-video-worth-watching.1262022/#post-20259051

*EDIT* For the dirt in the brooder, I use a large plastic plant saucer. I dump and clean it daily and put in new dirt. The saucer makes it easy to dump and clean. They make a mess, we call it the 'dirt party' because they love it!

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Symptoms of coccidiosis are lethargy, sitting fluffed up, isolating themselves, going off food/water, runny or mucousy or bloody droppings. Sometimes they can have balance or coordination problems. It's correct that only some strains will present with blood. Any time a chick or young bird displays any of the symptoms then coccidiosis should be considered, and if in doubt, it should be treated. Corid is very safe and will do no harm even if it's something else. Other times it should be considered, even with older birds, is if new birds have been brought into the flock (they may bring in a new strain), birds are moved to new ground (may expose them to a new strain), or if you have had a period of wet weather where the ground stays moist for a period of time (wet, warm conditions contribute to what is called a 'coccidia bloom', where the numbers of available oocysts in the environment can be increased). Some strains are more virulent than others and can progress and kill very quickly, others are less virulent and you may have more time. All of them can kill if left untreated, and the longer before treatment is started the more damage will be done to the digestive tract.
You might be interested in this thread, video in post #1 that is very informative on what the coccidia do to the digestive tract, how common it is, etc. It's worth watching.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coccidiosis-video-worth-watching.1262022/#post-20259051

*EDIT* For the dirt in the brooder, I use a large plastic plant saucer. I dump and clean it daily and put in new dirt. The saucer makes it easy to dump and clean. They make a mess, we call it the 'dirt party' because they love it!

We have had an extremely wet year here in NC and had over 20 days of temps 90° and higher (I believe it was close to a month of temps 90° and above). We're still having temps in the upper 80°s to mid 90°s and lots of rain. I need to stay very diligent in watching poops and symptoms. This is probably how Raymona got overrun with it. I thought it was a used coop, but I'm not sure about that (of course it's possible but I just feel like it was due to the blooming in the "perfect storm" of weather for growth