Coccidiosis in chickens, chickens, broilers

The scourge of chicken breeders, especially broiler owners, is not the advertised bird flu, but a microorganism from the order of coccidia, little known to the general population. In chickens, the disease is caused by microorganisms belonging to the Eimeria family. The name “coccidiosis” is common among the people, but in the reference book on veterinary medicine, the symptoms and methods of treating this disease should be looked for in the chapter “Eimeriosis of chickens”.

All living organisms, including humans, are susceptible to microorganisms from the coccidia order. Fortunately, some species of these protozoa are strictly specific and are not able to exist in the body of another host.

But it must be borne in mind that cryptosporodiosis of calves, also caused by the protozoa of the coccidia order, can also be called coccidiosis in common parlance. The person is susceptible to this disease.

Etymology of Eimeriosis chickens

Coccidiosis in chickens is caused by 11 types of eimeria. Of these, Eimeria tenella, Eimeria brunette, Eimeria necatricx, Eimeria maxima are the most dangerous. Eimeria tenella infects the caecum, other species parasitize in the small intestine. Chickens from 2 to 8 weeks of age are especially susceptible to coccidiosis. Coccidiosis is also dangerous in that it reduces the immunity of chickens to other diseases when affected by eimeria. Eimeria oocysts are very resistant to disinfectant solutions and cold. But they die when dried and at high temperatures.

Infection with Eimeria oocysts occurs through contaminated water, feed, litter, grass and soil on the paddock and feces. Eimeria oocysts can be introduced by insects, rodents, birds, or people who do not follow the rules of hygiene. Coccidiosis spreads most rapidly when chickens are crowded in dirty poultry houses.

The severity of coccidiosis depends on the number and type of Eimeria oocysts ingested. With a small number of oocysts, eimeriosis in chickens can be asymptomatic, with a large number, a severe course of coccidiosis is often fatal. In addition, the severity of the disease will depend on the location of the protozoa, the rate of their reproduction, the metabolism of the chicken and the level of its immunity.

When it enters the body of a chicken, the walls of the oocyst are destroyed under the influence of bile and the eimeria passes into the active stage of existence. Basically, protozoa parasitize in the duodenum, destroying the cells of the epithelium lining the inner surface of the intestine. Over time, eimeria spread throughout the gastrointestinal tract of the chicken. After an acute period of the disease, during which the eimeria reproduce asexually in the gastrointestinal tract of the chicken, the protozoa proceed to sexual reproduction – hematogony, and the formation of oocysts. Ready oocysts enter the external environment along with the excrement of chickens, already ready to infect a new host and a new reproduction cycle.

Signs of coccidiosis precede the shedding of Eimeria oocysts and may coincide in time only if the chickens are re-infected with Eimeria.

The life cycle from infection of the host to the start of isolation of oocysts is strictly individual for each species of Eimeria and varies from 4 to 27 days. Eimeria reproduce asexually a limited number of times, so if there is no re-infection, the chicken will recover on its own. This is the basis of the “folk method” of treating coccidiosis with iodine. In other words, regardless of the use of iodine by the chicken, she would have recovered within the period characteristic of the type of eimeria with which the bird is infected. You can not plant the thyroid gland in a chicken, but simply wait until it “passes by itself”. But this means releasing new parasites into the environment that will infect the chickens again.

Here is a great video showing how chickens survive despite the efforts of poultry farmers.

How iodine helps develop immunity against coccidia is unclear. But it is clear that chickens consume a 5-year norm of iodine for an adult in a day or less.

Symptoms and treatment regimens for coccidiosis in chickens

With strong immunity, chickens either do not become infected with coccidiosis at all, or they are asymptomatic. But chickens with weak immunity can get coccidiosis even from a simple feed change or any other stress. It is necessary to treat coccidiosis in chickens, which occurs in an acute form for no more than 4 days and, often, with a 100% fatal outcome, immediately after the onset of signs of the disease. That is why you should not experiment with folk remedies, but use proven coccidiostatic drugs and antibiotics.

In chickens, coccidiosis is manifested by oppression, thirst, decrease, and later a complete lack of appetite. Feathers are ruffled, wings are lowered. Chickens huddle together, striving for warmth, do not respond to irritations.

Litter liquid, with a lot of mucus and blood. Since the severity of the disease directly depends on the number of Eimeria that have entered the body of the chicken, some individuals may look healthy. Perhaps they will develop immunity, but it is better to treat everyone. If the content of chickens is crowded and it is not possible to determine the consistency of the litter by stains on the floor, it is enough to look at the cesspool area. In hens and chickens with diarrhea, the feathers or down around the cloaca are dirty and stuck together with liquid droppings.

An accurate diagnosis can only be made after laboratory tests, since the external signs of coccidiosis are similar to borreliosis, histomonosis, pullorosis and trichomoniasis.

In the photo of Eimeria under a microscope.

Due to the similarity of coccidiosis to other diseases, diagnosis and treatment at home is a lottery. Maybe the owner will guess the causative agent of the disease, but maybe not. At the same time, the treatment of various diseases is carried out in different ways. While broad-spectrum antibiotics can still be tried, coccidiostats are harmless to other microorganisms. In addition, depending on the purpose of the poultry grown, coccidiostatics of various groups are used:

• preventing the development of immunity to re-infection;
• do not interfere with the development of immunity.

The former are used for chickens, which are soon planned to be sent for slaughter. It makes no sense to use other drugs, just get rid of the current infection and prevent a new one. The second group is used in breeding and egg farms.

How to treat coccidiosis in chickens

Broilers are sent for slaughter as chicks at the age of 2-3 months. In this regard, the treatment of coccidiosis in broilers, in fact, is not carried out. There is no time for him. Instead of treatment, prevention of coccidiosis in broiler chickens is carried out with the help of coccidiostatics of the first group. Coccidiostatics are given throughout the entire fattening period and stopped 3-5 days before slaughter.

Coccidiostats and doses in % of feed weight

In addition to coccidiostatics, broad-spectrum antibiotics are used, also as a percentage of the amount of feed.

Treatment of coccidiosis in egg and breeding chickens, as well as in laying hens, is carried out with other drugs and according to a different scheme. On egg farms and breeding farms, coccidiostats of the second group and antibacterial drugs are used instead of antibiotics.

Dose of coccidiostatics of the second group as a percentage of feed and treatment regimen

From antibacterial drugs, sulfadimethoxine 0,01% to feed is used in three courses of 3-5 days with breaks for 15, 20 and 35 days and sulfadimethoxine 0,1-0,2% to feed for 3 days with breaks for 2 days. Sulfadimezin is given until the chickens recover.

Prevention of coccidiosis in the household

Paradoxically, it is easier for large poultry farms to prevent coccidiosis in chickens than for private owners. Treatment of coccidiosis in chickens is complex and not always successful. If the infection is too strong, the treatment may no longer help. Therefore, preventive measures in large farms are aimed primarily at maintaining immunity in chickens. First of all, chickens are provided with a complete diet. Here it is worth considering whether chicken eggs from poultry farms are so bad.

It is recommended to ensure optimal conditions for keeping chickens. To do this, chickens are kept in cages with mesh floors and they try to prevent chicken manure from getting into the feeder or drinker: a cage with external fixtures.

All inventory of the poultry farm must be systematically cleaned and disinfected. For disinfestation, the equipment is treated with blowtorch fire.

At broiler poultry farms, for prevention, chickens are given coccidiostatics according to the scheme agreed with the veterinarian of the farm in doses lower than required for the treatment of coccidiosis in chickens. In farms that are unfavorable for coccidiosis, chickens are vaccinated by feeding a certain amount of eimeria so that they do not cause symptoms of coccidiosis, but form immunity.

All this cannot be observed in private farms, since chickens walk on the street, at best in enclosures. At worst, chickens run around the village, communicating with relatives and rodents. Adult chickens may have coccidiosis but not show symptoms. But when a new batch of chickens appears, the private trader has to urgently treat coccidiosis in chickens. And the main problem is that in young chickens, coccidiosis proceeds very rapidly. Often, owners lose the entire purchased batch of chickens. The only way out here is to keep the chickens in strict isolation from adult hens, then there is a chance that the chickens will not get sick.

In contrast to the above video, an explanatory video with a detailed analysis of the symptoms of coccidiosis in chickens and a list of drugs for the treatment of coccidiosis in chickens.

Conclusion

It is possible to cure coccidiosis in adult chickens, although it is better to prevent the development of the disease. If the chickens still fell ill with coccidiosis, then there is no need to experiment by giving the chickens iodine or other folk remedies. It is better to keep a supply of antibacterial drugs and coccidiostats in the house.