| I'm
not. That's because I practice prevention. And if there's
anything to practice prevention for, it's COCCIDIOSIS.
Since Coccidiosis is one of the most flock-devastating
protozoan parasitic diseases, 'Cocci' management should
forever be at the forefront of any good health and
nutrition program.
If you've ever survived a
round of Cocci in your own flock, you know what I mean
about devastating. If you're new to the Fancy with a cute
little backyard flock, your days are numbered for
heartbreak. It will come from nowhere in the form of a
once healthy nice little bird suddenly looking as though
they've ruffled their feathers. They may already be
sulking in a corner. Then comes the bloody diarrhea or
the oozing of clear fluid from the mouth when you pick
them up. By this time, it's too late - most of the damage
is already done, and it's only taken about 96 hours to
get there. Cocci outbreaks are particularly disappointing
because they usually strike our youngsters. Adult birds
have some resistance to it, but only to the particular
strain they've already been exposed to. If you bring in a
brand new strain from another farm on your shoes, and
conditions are right for their multiplication (damp
litter or soil, spring-like temperatures), the adults
will fall victim too. (This is a good reason to practice
'biosecurity', which is a subject for another day.)
Chickens are not the only
birds affected by Coccidiosis. Turkeys, geese, and ducks,
among others, are affected as well. Cocci are a naturally
occurring protozoan parasite found in almost every soil
sample. There are about nine different strains within the
Eimeria genus that do harm to chickens. Some of these
strains are questionable, but most are verifiable. I
happen to know that my soil samples contain Eimeria of
the Necatrix stain. There was poultry kept on my farm
before I owned it, and that virtually guarantees the
Cocci eggs (oocysts), are on site.
The nature of a chicken or
duck's eating habits - poking and dibbling amongst the
litter (and manure), makes them vulnerable to cocci
infection. The cocci oocysts are shed by previously
infected birds through their droppings into the litter or
on the ground. Then another bird comes along and ingests
the oocysts, which are then crushed by the gizzard and
the sporozoites are released. To over-simplify - from
there, they live, replicate, and destroy different parts
of the digestive tract, depending on the strain. The
entire process from ingestion to the shedding of oocysts
in the droppings is between 4 and 6 days.
The damage is irreversible.
It is only when a bird is infected with a relatively
small quantity of oocysts, that the bird then has an
opportunity to fight off the infection and build immunity
to future infection. Keeping litter fairly clean helps to
keep the oocyst population down, and gives your birds a
better chance of surviving their infection.
Keeping the litter of your
youngsters very clean until adulthood is one way of
reducing cocci outbreaks, but there are better ways. One
better way is to feed your youngsters medicated feed from
hatch to adulthood. To date, this is the most effective
way. The type of medicated feed you want to use is one
that contains Amprolium. Some starters also include
Bacitracin, which is OK, but that prevents most forms of
enteritis - which sometimes occurs as a result of a mild
case of Coccidiosis.
There is also a fairly new
Cocci vaccine on the market. It is available through at
least one of the suppliers who advertise in the Poultry
Press. I would call around though, more than one may
carry it.
For those waterfowl
breeders out there, I have good news. Previously thought
to be harmful to ducks, the latest veterinary science
claims that neither Amprolium nor Bacitracin are toxic to
ducks. As part of a study, I have had my waterfowl on
medicated feed for over a year now, and everyone is
thriving.
I don't think this article
would be complete unless I cautioned you against using
some of the previously recommended medications for Cocci,
that have now been designated as toxic to chickens and
waterfowl at dosages required to be effective. The
primary ones are the family of Sulfonamides. Among these
drugs, sulfaquionoxaline ('SQ'), is one of the most
toxic. There's also a sulfamethazine-based product sold
at a well-known farm supply store under the product name
'Sulmet'. I personally would never use this product on my
birds.
In conclusion, remember
your easy options for never having to weep over the death
of your next 'Best of Show' from something as simple to
control as Coccidiosis. Start and maintain your
youngsters on medicated feed for the first year, keep
that litter clean and dry to keep the population of
oocysts in check, or, consider the Cocci vaccine. And, if
all else fails, there's always the very expensive
Amprolium in liquid form until the powder's back.
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