Noticing poor growth, appetite loss, ruffled feathers, and potentially sudden death among your flocks? Coccidiosis might be the culprit!
This protozoan attacks young birds, causes diarrhea, and, within a couple of days, the birds can die. But you can not only control the spread but also prevent the already infected ones from dying.
Yes, you heard it right. Ahead, we are going to share the best practices you need to know to control and treat Coccidiosis disease in poultry farms. But before that, you must understand what it is, the reasons that cause this disease outbreak, and the early signs or symptoms.
So, without further yapping, let’s ensure all your flocks are safe!
What Is Coccidiosis?
Coccidiosis is a common disease in poultry farms that is caused by a protozoan parasite, coccidia. This damages the intestinal system of the flocks, resulting in diarrhea and bloody/watery droppings. If the damage is serious, it may lead to death.
While coccidia only infects the chicken, this parasite has different species that attack almost all other livestock. Then again, coccidia itself has nine different species that infect chickens in different life stages.
Farmers can easily prevent the spread of this disease when they have a clear understanding of what causes this disease. Find out below:
What Causes Coccidiosis Disease in Poultry?
Now comes the interesting part: what causes coccidiosis disease in poultry? Is it an uninvited guest?
Not really. Every grown-up and newborn chicken has a small population of coccidiosis in their guts. The chicken’s immune system constantly checks the parasite’s status and prevents the spread.
But how does it spread as a disease then? Let’s find the real causes:
- Coccidia naturally grow in the poultry environment, where chickens grow up. Warm, moist, and dirty areas are their growing ground. These parasites can survive for a longer time, even outside their host’s body.
- The parasite attacks chicks aged below 3 weeks, when they haven’t built a natural immune system. Older chicks and chickens with an unstable immune system can also easily get infected.
- The introduction may be caused by microscopic eggs that are stuck to transported clothes and equipment.
- The lifecycle may also start from the poop of wild birds, which often carries coccidia’s fertilized egg cysts.
- And most commonly, poor cleaning, sanitization, and disinfection of the area and products can recontaminate the coccidia cycle.
So, if you have poor hygiene at your poultry farm or fail to manage it properly, the coccidiosis disease outbreak is more prone to occur. We will come to a more in-depth discussion later, but first….
How Would You Know? Recognize Symptoms of Coccidiosis
If the number of Coccidia is small, it does not show any symptoms or signs. But as the number grows, you will find signs. Here’s how you can recognize them:
➤ Digestive Issues
The first thing you may notice is severe diarrhea. The litter may often contain blood or mucus, and this is a hallmark of the coccidiosis disease spread.
➤ Loss of Appetite
The birds won’t feed or drink much. Due to the intestinal damage and reduced nutrient absorption, the flock reduces feed intake.
➤ Slow Growth
Loss of appetite means weight loss and slow growth in broilers. For mature hens, you can see reduced egg production in layers.
➤ Lethargic
Behavioural changes are also significant among the Coccidia-infected birds. They become lethargic, inactive, and often huddle together.
➤ Ruffled Feathers
The infected birds typically have puffed-up or ruffled feathers. This is because they constantly try to fluff up their feathers to retain their body heat as they feel unwell.
➤ Droopy, Dull or Glazed Eyes
Another common sign is droopy or glazed eyes. This is because of the lethargy and dehydration.
➤ Dehydration
The diarrhea and excessive fluid loss cause dehydration in the flock. You can test their skin elasticity to check if they are dehydrated.
5 Best Practices to Prevent & Control Coccidiosis Spread
When you are running a poultry farm, you must have a strong defensive strategy to prevent and fight parasite attacks on the farm. So, you must take proactive steps to avoid the entry of these parasites first. But in case there is an attack, you can follow best treatment practices to help the infected birds heal.
Prevent Coccidiosis Spread Before It Even Reaches Your Poultry!
- Manage Good Biosecurity
Hygiene is the key to protecting your poultry farm from coccidia attack. So, set up a clear hygiene and biosecurity protocol for both staff and visitors to prevent disease transmission. Clean the farm and the litters regularly to make sure the farm stays dry. Additionally, disinfect the uniforms, footwear, and cleaning equipment after every use.
Strict hygiene and sanitization can only ensure you successfully prevent the spread of coccidiosis disease in poultry.
- Schedule Vaccination Ahead
Another effective way to prevent the spread is to keep the new batch of flock quarantined for a few weeks. Then keep track of vaccinations for the new chicks ahead of time and complete every dosage. Proper vaccination ensures that the flock has built a good immune system. Once the vaccination is completed, introduce them to the existing batch. This can reduce the severity of the coccidiosis.
- Provide Clean Water
Water is the primary source of spreading the coccidiosis disease in poultry. Make sure you are providing clean water.
Rather than providing an open watering area, you can install nipple drinkers, which provide a clean and safe source of water. In fact, many commercial poultry farmers have been using the nipple watering method to reduce water contamination.
But, even though you are practicing all the safety precautions and doing your best to keep the birds safe from the coccidia, the birds may still have a chance to get infected. So, what to do with the infected ones? Of course, provide the best treatment!
Best Treatment for the Infected Chickens
- Identify & Isolate Infected Ones
The first step is to identify and understand how severe the spread of the disease is. If it hasn’t infected all the chickens, separate and isolate the infected ones at least 12 yards away from the safe batch. Make sure to clean their coop regularly to remove daily droppings and ensure good ventilation to stop the spread via litters.
- Veterinarian Treatment & Medication
You must take advice from expert veterinarians to treat coccidiosis disease in poultry. They provide anticoccidial drugs like Amprolium, Diclazuril, Toltrazuril, Sulphonamides, Halofuginone, and Ionophores. You need to mix them with feed or water and help them heal quickly.
Must Note: You shouldn’t provide medicated feed to the vaccinated birds. The medicinal components can counteract the vaccine.
Key Takeaways
Hope this guide helps you to keep the flock healthy and fight the coccidiosis disease in poultry. Make sure you maintain a hygienic farm with proper exposure to natural light and dry conditions. The heat will kill the coccidia on surfaces.
Most importantly, do check your chicks’ health from time to time and provide them with clean water to drink. And for the medication and vaccination, make sure to contact a professional veterinarian.
So, that’s it! If you have any further queries, let us know through the comment box below.
FAQs
All treatments take time to help the chicken heal from the coccidiosis disease. However, mixing Amprolium at 10 mg/kg to feed or water for 5 days is one of the fastest ways to treat this disease outbreak. Reports say that birds often start to show improvement within 24 hours.
The recovery from the coccidiosis highly depends on the severity of the infection, the age, and the immune system. Even though it is not too late, you must take action as soon as you identify the infection. But if you don’t take any action, the bird will eventually die within 2 to 3 days due to severe intestinal damage.
Apple cider vinegar is not a standalone cure for coccidiosis disease in poultry, and there is no clinical proof that birds have completely recovered only from apple cider vinegar. But YES, you can provide the mixed water to maintain a healthy gut system, which has a lower chance of growing more coccidial parasites.
While wet, dirty, and overcrowded environments are the perfect playground for the coccidia, maintaining enough sunlight and ammonia can kill them naturally. So, proper hygiene and sanitation are the key to killing every lifecycle of this parasite.
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