03-25-2015, 06:35 PM
Coccidiosis is parasitic disease that affects bird's intestines. There are different species of this parasite. When they infect chickens, they multiple quickly in the intestines and damage the intestinal lining, preventing the birds from absorbing nutrients from their feed. Chicks are mostly affected. Most older birds have already develop immunity against it. However if the environment is full of coccidiosis eggs, even adult birds can succumb to it.
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Among the many species of coccidiosis, the 3 that cause the most damage to chcikens are Eimeria (E) acervulina, E. Maxima, E. tenella. Immunity is species specific, that is, birds that are immune to E. tenella may not be immune to other species. So for complete immunity, the birds have to be expose to all the species (e.g. through vaccination or from shredded eggs on the litter).
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Symptoms includes:
1. Diarrhea and/or blood in feces and/or mucuos in feces.
2. Lethargy (weakness)
3. Weight loss and watery, whitish diarrhea in older birds and hens at point of lay.
4. Poor growth.
5. Drooping and huddling together.
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Control/Prevention
It is better to control coccidiosis preventively because once coccidiosis strike - even before obvious symptoms appear, the damage to the intestines lining is permanent and it will affect growth and egg production.
To prevent it, medicated feed is used for broilers. The feed contains coccidiosis drug like Diclazuril (at 1ppm or 0.0001% in feed). Other control methods are as follows:
1. Give chicks probiotics for prevention. Probiotics are good bacteria that will kill most of the bad microbes in the chicken's intestine, keeping the gut healthy and making it difficult for coccidiosis to cause damage.
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2. Vaccinate day old chicks with any coccidiosis vaccine (this is not a must). Non-attenuated coccidiosis vaccines like Cocciva, immucox and Advent can cause lesions and occurance of coccidiosis in birds because they are not attenuated (i.e. not weakened). So you may have to treat for secondary gut diseases (like necrotic enteritis) at 16-17 days after vaccination using antibiotics or probiotics (fishmeal in feed predispose birds to necrotic enteritis). On the other hand, Paracox, Livacox and Viracox are attenuated (weakened) coccidiosis vaccines but they're more costly.
To avoid vaccine failure, make sure that you strictly read and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Note that for coccidiosis vaccines to work, the chicks need access to their feces. Vaccines won't be effective if the chicks are on wire floor. To prevent failure in caged housing, place boards on the wire floor and leave it their for up to 16 days.
3. Use medicated feed for chicks until they build immunity against it. Only do this if you did not vaccinate the chicks against cocci. Giving medicated feed to vaccinated chicks will render the chicks unprotected from cocci. Vaccination is more effective and preferable. But it is very costly. You can do without it.
.
4. Keep the brooder and pen clean and dry. Wetness and warmth encourage coccidosis multiplication. Prevent wet litter.
.
5. Keep water and feed free from droppings.
.
6. Avoid overcrowding
.
7. Practice good biosecurity
.
8. Place drinkers on wire frames so that chicks will not have access to wet spots where cocci easily multiply.
..
Treatment for Coccidiosis
First you have to make sure it is cocci that your birds are suffering from. You need a lab test to confirm this (This isn't a must. In fact, many farmers don't do test. They just focus on the symptoms. The test can be done on dead chicks or abnormal chick droppings. Once you've confirm it is cocci, don't waste time. Start treatment immediately. There are many drugs for coccidiosis. Your vet will recommend one after the lab test. It is important to know that coccidiosis can develop resistance against drugs. This is another reason why a lab test is important.
..
For coccidiosis that causes blood in dropping, some farmers who can't afford paying vets treat with amprolium. Blood usually disappear from the dropping within 24 hours. After 2wks the treatment is repeated to kill newly hatched eggs that escaped the first treatment. This second round must be given after 2wks and not within. There are many brands of amprolium drugs, so follow the manufacturer's instruction. After second treatment (esp. when using amprolium), give the birds multivitamin to replace the vitamin B1 lost during treatment. Multi-Vitamins containing Vit B1 must not be given when treating with amprolium because amprolium work by depriving the parasites of vitamin B1 which they can't do without.
Note: Amprolium is usually combined with ethopabate and sulfaquinoxaline to make it more effective against other species of coccidiosis.
During treatment, antibiotics and multi-vitamins containing vitamins A and K xan be goven to improve rate of recovery and prevent secondary infections.
..
Among the many species of coccidiosis, the 3 that cause the most damage to chcikens are Eimeria (E) acervulina, E. Maxima, E. tenella. Immunity is species specific, that is, birds that are immune to E. tenella may not be immune to other species. So for complete immunity, the birds have to be expose to all the species (e.g. through vaccination or from shredded eggs on the litter).
..
Symptoms includes:
1. Diarrhea and/or blood in feces and/or mucuos in feces.
2. Lethargy (weakness)
3. Weight loss and watery, whitish diarrhea in older birds and hens at point of lay.
4. Poor growth.
5. Drooping and huddling together.
..
Control/Prevention
It is better to control coccidiosis preventively because once coccidiosis strike - even before obvious symptoms appear, the damage to the intestines lining is permanent and it will affect growth and egg production.
To prevent it, medicated feed is used for broilers. The feed contains coccidiosis drug like Diclazuril (at 1ppm or 0.0001% in feed). Other control methods are as follows:
1. Give chicks probiotics for prevention. Probiotics are good bacteria that will kill most of the bad microbes in the chicken's intestine, keeping the gut healthy and making it difficult for coccidiosis to cause damage.
.
2. Vaccinate day old chicks with any coccidiosis vaccine (this is not a must). Non-attenuated coccidiosis vaccines like Cocciva, immucox and Advent can cause lesions and occurance of coccidiosis in birds because they are not attenuated (i.e. not weakened). So you may have to treat for secondary gut diseases (like necrotic enteritis) at 16-17 days after vaccination using antibiotics or probiotics (fishmeal in feed predispose birds to necrotic enteritis). On the other hand, Paracox, Livacox and Viracox are attenuated (weakened) coccidiosis vaccines but they're more costly.
To avoid vaccine failure, make sure that you strictly read and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Note that for coccidiosis vaccines to work, the chicks need access to their feces. Vaccines won't be effective if the chicks are on wire floor. To prevent failure in caged housing, place boards on the wire floor and leave it their for up to 16 days.
3. Use medicated feed for chicks until they build immunity against it. Only do this if you did not vaccinate the chicks against cocci. Giving medicated feed to vaccinated chicks will render the chicks unprotected from cocci. Vaccination is more effective and preferable. But it is very costly. You can do without it.
.
4. Keep the brooder and pen clean and dry. Wetness and warmth encourage coccidosis multiplication. Prevent wet litter.
.
5. Keep water and feed free from droppings.
.
6. Avoid overcrowding
.
7. Practice good biosecurity
.
8. Place drinkers on wire frames so that chicks will not have access to wet spots where cocci easily multiply.
..
Treatment for Coccidiosis
First you have to make sure it is cocci that your birds are suffering from. You need a lab test to confirm this (This isn't a must. In fact, many farmers don't do test. They just focus on the symptoms. The test can be done on dead chicks or abnormal chick droppings. Once you've confirm it is cocci, don't waste time. Start treatment immediately. There are many drugs for coccidiosis. Your vet will recommend one after the lab test. It is important to know that coccidiosis can develop resistance against drugs. This is another reason why a lab test is important.
..
For coccidiosis that causes blood in dropping, some farmers who can't afford paying vets treat with amprolium. Blood usually disappear from the dropping within 24 hours. After 2wks the treatment is repeated to kill newly hatched eggs that escaped the first treatment. This second round must be given after 2wks and not within. There are many brands of amprolium drugs, so follow the manufacturer's instruction. After second treatment (esp. when using amprolium), give the birds multivitamin to replace the vitamin B1 lost during treatment. Multi-Vitamins containing Vit B1 must not be given when treating with amprolium because amprolium work by depriving the parasites of vitamin B1 which they can't do without.
Note: Amprolium is usually combined with ethopabate and sulfaquinoxaline to make it more effective against other species of coccidiosis.
During treatment, antibiotics and multi-vitamins containing vitamins A and K xan be goven to improve rate of recovery and prevent secondary infections.