Coccidiosis in Broilers

[red maples]

Anyone ever have Coccidiosis with their chickens??? just like everyone else It has been very wet and warm the past few weeks (except for the last few day have been chilly and wet) It started yesterday I noticed a few bloody stool patches. I try my best to keep the liter clean they are about 5 1/2 weeks old. they are cornish rock X's they seem to be doing OK acting fine other wise.

hopefully I can catch it early enough that it won't be too bad. I cleaned out there coupe and letting it dry good for a while before adding more shavings.

did a little reading and going to the feed store to pick up something to treat it.

I was hopeing it wouldn't effect my layers but I see 2 that aren't eating much but drinking alot of water and their combs are a little pinkish and wrinkled. not plump red and waxy looking like it should be. and they are kinda staying away from everything. and it looks like they might have diarrea. I put some pine shaving in their yard and I am gonna clean their coupe today too and let that dry out as much as possible today. See how they are the next few days if they get worse or spreads to more chickens I guess they will get them medicated too.

[Maplewalnut]

We have had good luck with apple vinegar before, put right in water for a few days cleaned them out.

[red maples]

Really Vinegar ??? How did you figure that out??? and how much did you use

[Maplewalnut]

Wife found it...where else but an on-line chicken forum. I remember about a cup or two per 5 gallons of water for two weeks. It will rust galvanized water trays though.

[NH/Pete]

Many people treat with Sulmet

http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_75&products_id=1091

[red maples]

The folks at the feed store had Tetracycline Hydrochloride powder for the broilers. so I will try that for a week and see what happens and just keep everything as clean as possible. and then they have to be off it for a week before they are done in probably be longer than that anyway because they need to put on more weight!!! they didn't have anything for layers. So I am trying the apple cider vinegar and letting them out of their run for longer hours so they can get more greens and have a bigger area to roam. The 2 layers seem to be better when they are out so hopefully they will be better soon. fingers crossed anyway.

[NH/Pete]

You can give it to the egg layers. You think you just can't eat the eggs for 14 days after you stop the treatment.

How many weeks are you growing the meat birds? Nine works great for me in the spring. 7lb dressed out on average.

[red maples]

Well this is only my second batch so the first batch was learning curve turns out this one is too. the first ones I started at 8 weeks had 6 # average they were supposed to be all males but got 3 females somehow and they went to 10 weeks for 6# dressed. So for these ones we'll have to see they started with the bloody stool yesterday so according to my research I caught it very early. with in the first 2-3 days. so if all goes OK then they shouldn't loose too much time and with the dry weather coming for the next few days everything should be OK. As for the Layers I wanna try the vinegar first. then I don't have to dump eggs!!!

I think for the next batch I will change out part of the floor to hardware screen or put wheels on the coupe and sorta turn it into a tractor that I can move around the yard. and try 2 batches again next year!!!

[NH/Pete]

I'll raised them for many years. This year 60. Most years only 50.

I do keep them off the ground. Biggest problem I have is stress from heat and predators. If the grow too fast they're prone to heart attacks.

I start to limit their food at about six weeks. I give them what they can eat during the day. No food at night.

Do you process your own?

[red maples]

yeah thats what I do with food around the 6th week too. They just do better.

Yes I do process my own. the first one was the hardest but after that it was easy. (mentally that is) I had lots 2 from the heat over july 4th weekend.

[BryanEx]

red maples... best online forum / info is available at the community forum at http://www.backyardchickens.com

[Maplewalnut]

[QUOTE=NH/Pete;162081]You can give it to the egg layers. You think you just can't eat the eggs for 14 days after you stop the treatment.

QUOTE]

Try the vinegar, you can eat eggs all along.....

[KenWP]

Anyone ever have Coccidiosis with their chickens??? just like everyone else It has been very wet and warm the past few weeks (except for the last few day have been chilly and wet) It started yesterday I noticed a few bloody stool patches. I try my best to keep the liter clean they are about 5 1/2 weeks old. they are cornish rock X's they seem to be doing OK acting fine other wise.

hopefully I can catch it early enough that it won't be too bad. I cleaned out there coupe and letting it dry good for a while before adding more shavings.

did a little reading and going to the feed store to pick up something to treat it.

I was hopeing it wouldn't effect my layers but I see 2 that aren't eating much but drinking alot of water and their combs are a little pinkish and wrinkled. not plump red and waxy looking like it should be. and they are kinda staying away from everything. and it looks like they might have diarrea. I put some pine shaving in their yard and I am gonna clean their coupe today too and let that dry out as much as possible today. See how they are the next few days if they get worse or spreads to more chickens I guess they will get them medicated too.

Usually with hens they will pick up the oocysts in the bedding and get immunity to it that way.The vinegar ups the acid content of their digestive system and lets them fight it better. I feed tetracyclicine almost full time when my birds are young to combat it. I have to treat every baby pig for it at birth also around here. That medication has a 72 day withdrawl on it.My rabbits get it also and I have used the baby pig treatment for them as it is a one time thing with that. Just have to wait two months plus to butcher them.
The funny thing is that the bug the pigs get won't hurt the chickens and the chicken one won't hurt the turkeys but they all kill off my rabbits.

[red maples]

Yes I did read that the parasite is very animal specific and don't cross contaminate between other animials. the stuff I have is a little lighter does so the package says 4 day withdrawl for chickens and 5 day withdrawl for swine. But it will be longer than that they are only 5 1/2 weeks and since I got them on it yesterday there is only 1 dark stool but no blood, but the 1 layer is not doing any better. Going to separate her tonight and start her on the medication see if she improoves.

[KenWP]

You can allways force feed her a bit of water and the meds.I gave Immodium to a couple of my rabbits that got real sick and it helped them out. I doubt it works on a chicken. Your as bad as me I baby all my critters. My vet gave me hell trying to save everything all the time. I had 300 baby pigs born in two days this week was exhausted giving them all their meds.

[red maples]

so she seems a little more energetic this morning but she is also a little freaked out that she is by her self away from everybody.