Hello
dear readers,
I
must confess that my chickens has never suffered from this disease but as a
proactive measure, I do take time to do a thorough research for knowledge as regards diseases that are very
prone to chickens.
And
this researches has really help be to set up preventive measure to guide
against any outbreak or infestation.
Any
farmer that wants to profit from this line of business (Poultry farming) must
be proactive and passionate about his/her business. Manage your business like a
company and treat your birds like a family without attaching any emotions to
them.
Coccidiosic
is one of the common diseases disturbing farms bird and this disease is caused
by a protozoan organism. It is transmitted from bird to bird through
contaminated water, feed, droppings or litter. The disease usually occurs among
chicks. Birds on free range management system rarely get this disease. The
disease usually occurs where birds are kept inside a house all the time.
These
protozoan organisms bring about chronic intestinal coccidiosis. Chickens are
infected with coccidiosis after picking up oocysts from the ground or from
their litter. These oocysts are usually passed out from other infected birds
that might have recovered from the condition, and they can survive in litter
for several month. Because of the ruggedness of oocysts, it is very difficult
to completely exclude or eradicate them from a poultry farm.
The
disease has a high mortality rate in baby chickens and death usually occurs within
a week of first seeing symptoms, so fast treatment is a must.
This
is why prevention is so very important. Young chicks between 3-5 weeks old are
most susceptible.
As
chickens aged and are exposed to small amount of the parasite, over time they
develop a naturally immunity and will become asymptomatic when they come into
contact with coccidia, but older hens with poor immune systems or who are
stressed or otherwise unhealthy are also vulnerable.
So
a strong healthy immune system is the best defense along with proper
brooder/run/coop management.
Symptoms
If
you ask any poultry farmer for symptoms of Coccidiosis, the first sign they
will probably mention is that of bloody droppings, which happens as a result of
damage to the intestinal wall. The bleeding intestine explains why chickens
suffering from Coccidiosis are often reluctant to eat. This, in turn, hastens
their death if the condition is not treated with urgency.
With
that being said, you should keep a close watch for the following symptoms and
act quickly;
·
Poor
growth or low weight gain,
·
Loss
of appetite
·
Bloody
diarrhea,
·
Dropping
wings
·
Body
weakness.
·
Exhaustion
·
Huddling
(cold)
·
Pale
combs and skin around eyes.
·
No
longer laying eggs
·
Weight
Loss
·
Ruffled
feathers
Prevention is
The Key
When
it comes to chicken illnesses, diseases, and parasites, prevention is always
the best way to combat whatever comes your way. It’s better to be preventative
rather than dealing with the stress of being reactive to a problem once it
shows up.
So,
how do you prevent coccidiosis in chickens? Let’s dig into the details so you
can keep your flock happy and healthy…and have plenty of eggs and good meat!
Practice Good
Housekeeping
A
clean coop/pen is number one on this list because excessive dropping may
promote the spread of disease in general. Keep it tidy and clean and your
chickens will be happy, and the parasites not-so-much!
So Fresh So
Clean…Water
Let’s
face it, chickens poop is in their waterers all the time, sometimes to our
bewilderment. You wonder how they get it in there sometimes. Infected droppings
in drinking water means infected water. So change it regularly and clean
waterers often.
Isolation
Isolate
newly acquired birds for at least 21 days after their arrival to your flock.
Isolate
birds returning from fairs and exhibitions for at least 21 days.
Isolate
birds that shows symptoms of sickness.
More…
·
Control
the presence of rodents, insects, and wild birds.
·
Minimize
contact with all wildlife by providing an adequate barrier.
·
Control
access to your flock by neighbors, service people, and strangers.
· Try
to avoid sharing equipment. If you must share, thoroughly clean and disinfect
equipment before and after use.
· After
indirect contact with other birds (e.g., visits to feed stores), wash your
hands and change your clothing and footwear before caring for your birds.
·
After
direct contact with other birds (e.g., visits to other farms, exhibitions),
shower and change your clothing and footwear before caring for your birds.
·
Shower
and change or disinfect clothing and footwear after contact with sick birds.
·
Provide
adequate nutrition and shelter to your birds.
Treatment of Coccidiosis
As a backyard chicken farm, I eat more of my chickens while I sell the other, so I
am very careful when it comes to medications and drugs. I eat healthy foods so I
don’t give unhealthy food to anybody irrespective of whom you are to me a Customer
or a neighbor.
Cure with Drugs
Drugs
used for coccidiosis treatment
Anticoccidia
drugs include sulfa drugs, Amprolium, Quinolones, and Ionophores. There has
also been record of drug-resistant strains of coccidiosis. One way to overcome
these resistant strains is to switch the drug used. Also, it should be noted
that some drugs are more effective for certain species of coccidian.
Cure with
Natural Herbs
Bitter
Leaf is effective for coccidiosis treatment, giving chickens bitter leaf
extract in their water has been proven to take care of coccidia.
How to extract bitter
leaf for coccidiosis treatment
Gather
some bitter leaves. The quantity depends on the volume of juice you are hoping
to get and the number of chickens you want to treat
Remove
the leaves from the stem and rinse them in a bowl. Be sure to rinse properly
but don’t squeeze too hard
Put
the leaves in a kitchen blender and add just a little water. Just enough water
to blend the leaves easily. What you need is a juice that is as thick as 5
Alive, so don’t add too much water at this stage.
Blend
until the leaves are cut into tiny particles
Use
a cheese cloth to sieve the juice into a container
If
you have followed the process carefully, the bitter leaf extract should be as
thick as 5 Alive.
How to
administer bitter leaf extract for Coccidiosis treatment
·
For
prevention, add 20 ml of bitter leaf extract to 1 litter of clean water
·
For
treatment, add 30-40ml of bitter leaf extract to 1 litter of clean water
Bitter
leaf extract added to chicken water will not reduce their water intake in
harmful proportions.
However,
these are natural cure, so you need to administer it for 4 to 5 days, and you can
give orally to a chicken that is very sick.
Remember,
for good result, you have to take water away from the chickens for some time
before given the treatment, so that they can really drink the water.
Thank
you for reading. …do have a happy business.