The Pampered Pullets Farm
2012
Coccidiosis
Coccidiosis, or Cocci for short, is a highly contagious disease that primarily effects chicks between the ages of 10 days and 8 weeks. Beyond 8 weeks, most birds have established a resistance to it.
Cocci thrives in damp and humid conditions. It is very important that you keep your chicks brooder area dry at all times.
Cocci spreads through chicks very fast so always be on the lookout for it. Chicks with Cocci will tend to be listless with ruffled feathers and droopy wings. In some cases of Cocci you will notice blood in their poop but this is not always the case. They will also not want to eat and usually stand with their eyes closed. But don’t confuse this with sleeping as many chicks will sleep standing up.
This is a fast moving disease and many times the first signs you will see are dead chicks. This is one of the most common diseases that chicks get so always be on the lookout for it to pop up.
Coccidiosis is caused by the protozoa known as coccidia. Cocci is passed through the birds through their droppings. This stage is called Oocyst. Oocyst’s can survive outside the body for up to a year and are not killed by normal disinfectant means. There are many types of Coccidiosis, some of which are more severe than others. Coccidiosis is generally an easily treatable disease with quick results if caught soon enough. Most of today’s chick starter feeds come with an anti-coccidiostat in them but this is by no means a failsafe preventative. There are drugs on the market specifically designed to treat Cocci. The two most common drugs are Corid and Sulmet. Corid is a 9.6% Amprolium coccidiostat where as Sulmet is a 12.5% solution of Sulfamethazine Sodium as a coccidiostat. Both are good drugs for curing Cocci. Both are used in the chicks waterer at a rate of 2 tablespoons per gallon of water. This is to be their only source of water for a period of 5 days. Give this solution to all the chicks even if they are not yet showing signs as they are most likely also infected.
Make sure their bedding is clean and dry and if on shavings, change them at least every 24 hours and preferably every 12 hours. If there is blood evident in their poop then make sure you change the bedding more often. It is best if they can be on a wire floor as to allow the poop to drop through and away from the chicks. Make sure that all the chicks are drinking. If you notice any of them not wanting to drink then you will have to give this solution by way of an eyedropper and dribble it across the beak until it drinks. Do not force it into the chicks beak as you run the risk of suffocating them. Chicks seem to respond very well to this treatment and within a few days are back to normal. Once a chick is about 8 weeks of age, they have usually built up a resistance to Cocci. But that is not to say that older birds cannot get it. This is especially true if you house different age birds together. It moves much more slowly in older birds but treatment is just as effective. It is a nasty little disease but easily cured and prevented.