Will having Chickens that had coccidiosis infect chicks?

[Chickenzzz]

About seven months back and half of them died of coccidiosis despite being treated. About three months later I got silver laced wyandottes and half of them died of coccidiosis too. They were put in the same coop but I cleaned the coop and burned the shavings, now I am hatching marans and sizzles and don't want them to be infected. If anyone knows how to keep them from being infected it would be appreciated I have had chickens for a few years but am not familiar with chicken diseases.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can treat them with a half dose or preventative dose of Corid (amprollium.) Some people recommend doing this every 3 weeks up to a certain age when they should be immune (around 20 weeks.)

 

[Chickenzzz]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Kessy09]

Well, you could do a couple things. You could vaccinate. See if your vet will order in the vaccine for you. Or maybe your feed store carries it-every state/province has different regulations. Do you feed medicated feed? If not, that would be something. The thing is, the chicks that didn't die, are always shedding the coccidiosis into the environment so the new chicks are probably in your brooder right until you integrate them to the coop? If that's the case, then you should use some of the shavings from the coop (the infected bedding) mixed into the brooder bedding so that the chicks can slowly build up an immunity to the parasite. If they go straight from a clean brooder to an infected environment it can quickly overwhelm their system.

 

[Kessy09]

Forgot to mention-don't do both (vaccine or medicated feed). Just pick one.

 

[Chickenzzz]

Thank you for the advice.I never thought about trying to build an immunity with old shavings, I always feed the chicks medicated feed though. Does that mean that I carried coccidiosis from my coop to the brooder.

 

[ten chicks]

If you have had that many deaths due to coccidiosis,then i would advise you to do as Eggcessive suggested,use a preventative dose of Amprolium. Most birds have some cocci in their small intestines,only becomes a problem if they have an overload/outbreak,then we use a coccidiostat(Amprolium) to bring it back under control. Cocci is a parasitic infection of the intestinal tract and is spread by droppings which get into feed/water via droppings. Cocci can be spread by wild birds,bringing into your area on your own hands/clothes/shoes/feed utensils/etc. Coccidiosis can kill very fast,but is easily controlled. You can put them on medicated feed,but birds on medicated feed can still have an overload/outbreak of cocci.

 

[AshP]

If you have had that many deaths due to coccidiosis,then i would advise you to do as Eggcessive suggested,use a preventative dose of Amprolium. Most birds have some cocci in their small intestines,only becomes a problem if they have an overload/outbreak,then we use a coccidiostat(Amprolium) to bring it back under control. Cocci is a parasitic infection of the intestinal tract and is spread by droppings which get into feed/water via droppings. Cocci can be spread by wild birds,bringing into your area on your own hands/clothes/shoes/feed utensils/etc. Coccidiosis can kill very fast,but is easily controlled. You can put them on medicated feed,but birds on medicated feed can still have an overload/outbreak of cocci.

Just to clarify- Coddidiosis is host specific. Another animal/bird may carry cocci but that cocci will not infect a chicken.

 

[ten chicks]

Just to clarify- Coddidiosis is host specific. Another animal/bird may carry cocci but that cocci will not infect a chicken.

Check your facts. Coccidiosis can be spread by wild birds,animals,humans,they carry it into the area,which in turn can affect chickens. My comment was explaining how it is spread,not about it being host specific.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for the advice.I never thought about trying to build an immunity with old shavings, I always feed the chicks medicated feed though. Does that mean that I carried coccidiosis from my coop to the brooder.

Many oldtimers recommend putting a fresh lump of sod from their chicken yards into the chick brooder from day 1. They play with it, peck the grass, and get early exposure to coccidia that is in your soil. The goal is early exposure in a small amount will help to build immunity. Young chicks raised with broodies in the chicken yard are exposed to it early, and have very few infections. Some people swear by medicated feed, but their are so many cases of coccidiosis still. I would keep a packet of Corid on hand available to treat for an outbreak, or do the preventative dosing. I have never treated for it, and don't used medicated feed, but my chicks are exposed day 1--and never had a case.