Coccidiosis in chickens: causes, treatment, prevention

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Coccidiosis in chickens is a parasitic, infectious disease. The disease has the character of an epidemic. It quickly spreads in the chicken coop, especially among young animals, and takes almost 80% of the poultry population. The most important thing is to notice the symptoms of the disease in time and take action. It is also possible to prevent coccidiosis by pre-vaccinating young animals and maintaining the correct poultry standards.

Treat or slaughter sick chickens?

This disease is the scourge of many poultry farms. Coccidiosis in chickens, unlike young animals, is often chronic. Such birds cannot reproduce full-fledged offspring, they are constant carriers of the infection. Any deterioration in maintenance may be accompanied by a loss of weight and egg production of diseased hens. They can debilitate and even die. There is an opinion that it makes no sense to keep and treat such birds. Better, when they are still in good weight, slaughter them for meat, and disinfect the chicken coop.

What is more profitable- buy adult hens or pullets?

If you decide to breed a bird, then you should not buy an adult. She may be a chronic parasite carrier. Coccidiosis in chickens is dangerous because it cannot be determined by external examination of an adult bird. It is worth making inquiries about the farm in which you want to purchase breeding material, how well it is in terms of diseases. For breeding, it is better to buy a breeding egg or chickens. To prevent the chickens from getting sick, they need to be vaccinated or prevent coccidiosis.

Eimiriosis (coccidiosis) in chickens is a disease that causes great economic harm to poultry farms around the world. Even if we exclude the death of young animals, then the maintenance of such a bird is not profitable. The bird consumes food as usual, but does not grow, practically does not gain weight, and laying hens stop laying eggs. It is almost impossible to completely cure such a livestock, it is easier to kill it and replace it with he althy young animals.

What is coccidiosis

Chickens have various parasitic diseases, one of which is coccidiosis caused by coccidia. There are 11 varieties of coccidia, the most common being called Eimeria tenella. Therefore, coccidiosis is also called eimiriosis.

Coccidia enter the intestines of birds with contaminated food and water. In a few days, they completely affect the intestines of the bird, causing it to swell and hemorrhage. Nutrients are no longer absorbed by the body, toxins accumulate, causing poisoning. Oocysts are excreted in fecesoutside, getting on the litter, in drinkers and feeders. They are eaten by other birds and the disease spreads quickly. If treatment is not started in time, the chickens may die.

The greatest infestation occurs when the birds are crowded, the litter is dirty and there is a lot of moisture, as well as poor quality feed. Young hens often get sick as soon as they are released to the free range. Eating grass and worms, they swallow coccidia oocysts. Parasitic bacteria remain viable for 9 or more months and, getting into the stomach of chickens, begin to multiply rapidly. Most infection on walking occurs in rainy warm weather. Chickens bring parasites on dirty paws, from their paws they get on the litter, in water and feed. Shaggy-legged chickens are especially affected.

Coccidiosis in chickens: symptoms

Sick birds look lethargic and depressed. They mostly sit in one place, ruffled and eyes closed. Chickens lose their appetite, but they continue to greedily drink water. The stools become frequent, liquid, frothy and interspersed with blood. The feather around the cloaca is dirty from stool. Viscous saliva accumulates in the beak. In severe cases, convulsions and paralysis of the limbs can begin. At slaughter and death of a bird, the skin is noticeably cyanotic. As she is severely anemic before she dies.

Mistakes of amateur poultry farmers

Many parasitic diseases of chickens develop in subsidiary farms. The fact is that in industrial poultry farms, poultry is mainly grafted andcontained in the cells. Only breeding stock is located on the floor for easy insemination. The bird is not used for a long time, there is a constant renewal of the herd.

In amateur farms, the bird is mainly kept on the floor of the barn and on the range (free and open-air cages). Tribal lives for several years. A sick bird is most often tried to be cured, and when it recovers, they continue to keep it further. And they get already weakened offspring from her.

The bedding in the barn where the birds are kept is rarely changed, often just a layer of dry substrate is added on top. Thus, both the barn and the aviary and the paddock are most often infected with oocysts, and the breeding herd is a breeding ground for coccidiosis.

Often young chickens are purchased by amateur poultry farmers. Since chickens from 10 days of age to 4.5 months are mainly susceptible to coccidiosis, the acquired livestock is at risk.

It is profitable to buy pullets, because in a month they begin to rush, and by winter they can be slaughtered for meat. But often, having bought beautiful chickens, buyers become very disappointed after a week. At first, absolutely he althy pullets begin to get sick, sit on their feet, become lethargic and eat poorly. The owners begin to treat them, but the treated hens still remain carriers of the infection.

Why did the chickens get sick?

Poultry farmers have been using the same barn, chicken aviary, or paddock for years to keep chickens. Also, feeders, drinkers and other equipment are carriers of infection. Many people don't even think about itbefore bringing in new birds, everything needs to be processed, the barn is completely cleaned and all bedding, as well as drinkers and feeders, are replaced. For some poultry farmers, a new bird is planted next to an already infected old one, and then they wonder why the young ones got sick.

In such situations, cases of mass mortality of young animals are not uncommon. Failure to comply with the standards of maintenance eventually takes its toll, and the limit of the content of coccidia oocysts causes an epidemic of coccidiosis.

Treatment of coccidiosis in chickens

Treatment of coccidiosis in adult chickens is not cost effective. Sick chickens can be cured, but they will remain carriers of the infection, so it is better to immediately slaughter them for meat. You need to treat young animals that show signs of coccidiosis. But when they reach the desired weight, it is also better to score for meat, and not use for breeding.

Experienced breeders recommend methods to prevent disease.

Prevention of coccidiosis in chickens

• The first rule is to keep young birds separate from adult birds.
• Before the release of chickens and pullets into the aviary or free range, as well as on the floor of the barn, it is necessary to carry out preparatory processing. It is necessary to remove all the old bedding and disinfect it. Lay new, clean and dry straw or sawdust.
• It is best to disinfect a room by burning walls, floors and inventory with a blowtorch, the main thing is not to start a fire.
• Feeders and drinkers should be well treated with disinfectants and boiling water.
• Monitor the qualityfood and clean water in the drinkers.
• Keep chickens as long as possible in cages with a mesh floor so that the litter falls into the trays.

After the young animals are released on the floor or into the aviary, it is necessary to carry out drug prophylaxis on the 5th day. For this, it is best to use Baykoks or Interokoks. Dilute the product at the rate of 3 mg per 1 liter of water. Previously, in the evening, do not give the bird to drink, and in the early morning pour a medicinal solution into the drinker. Before dinner, the chickens must drink everything. There are products that are added to food. But here it is impossible to trace which bird ate how much. It is better to use medicines that are soluble in water.

The second time the medicine is given 25 days after the first dose. Further, the young animals are given a diluted preparation for prophylaxis after the rains, when the weather is wet and warm outside.

These drugs do not depress the immune system of chickens. With such care and timely medication, the bird practically does not get sick. Such chickens do not need to be treated, the breeding herd will always be he althy.

As can be seen from the above, the main thing in keeping a bird is cleanliness and timely given medicines. Never leave a sick bird to the tribe. Sick adult chickens should be immediately slaughtered for meat.

Aviary keeping of birds

With aviary keeping, it is more likely that the bird will not get coccidiosis. An aviary for chickens can be made with a plank floor and walking on the ground. In both cases, it is better to use bedding so that you can change the old and dirty for a new, dry andclean. Aviaries come with a roof and without a roof. With a canopy, of course, better. There is no dampness when it rains, the chickens will not be dragged away by crows, and even on a hot day they need shade.

Aviary for chickens is necessary not only so that they do not bring infection from outside. It protects them from predators. In addition, chickens in the wild can climb into the garden and do a lot of trouble. Yes, and litter throughout the yard and on the porch is also unpleasant. And in the aviary, the chickens get the necessary sunlight, fresh air, and at the same time they do not interfere with anyone and are protected.

Raising young animals

There are so many diseases around that the question arises of how to raise chickens without loss? It's no secret that chickens, like all babies, need warmth, cleanliness and quality food. As well as vaccination and prevention of coccidiosis disease with drugs.

Currently, the question of how to raise chickens from a week old is not very difficult. One of the main conditions is to maintain good immunity in chicks. This requires vitamins and minerals. Now special bioadditives are produced for feeding chickens and young chickens, which are poured into the feed in a certain proportion. This is "Chick-Chick" and "Sun". Premixes for chickens not only increase immunity, they grow and develop quickly from them.

Chicken vaccination

Vaccinating chickens at home is pretty simple. Vaccinations against coccidiosis are given at the age of 9 days. Now very popularAvikoks vaccine. It can be fed to chickens with feed or drunk with water. The main thing when vaccinating is to check the expiration date of the drug, comply with the norms and write down the batch number and the number of vaccinations. Bottles from the drug must be disposed of. Vaccination is done once, it lasts for a lifetime.