Between bacteria, viruses, infections, parasites and predators, sometimes it can feel like the world is out to get your flock. One disease that can make both seasoned professionals and new bird owners feel this way is coccidiosis, or cocci for short.
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Raising any type of livestock comes with its own risks and rewards. The rewards are pretty self-explanatory: companionship and usable end products, like eggs. The risks get a little more complex, but disease is the risk at the forefront of all of our minds.
Coccidiosis, or cocci, is a common disease in poultry, caused by protozoal organisms of the family Eimeriidae. From backyard chickens to wild birds, cocci occurs worldwide. The most characteristic signs of infection are diarrhea, weight loss and reduced production, but it can also be fatal. So where does it come from? What can we do about it?
Coccidia, the parasites that cause cocci, are universally present in areas where poultry are being raised. Fortunately, specific conditions must be met for a bird to actually develop a disease.
First, the bird has to be susceptible to disease, meaning it's already being impacted by another illness or immunocompromised in some way, such as old age, genetic anomalies or poor nutrition. This doesn't mean that healthy birds can't get coccidiosis-it just means that they are less susceptible when challenged.
The next two requirements go hand in hand: 1) the bird has to ingest a relatively high number of oocysts, and 2) the oocysts have to be sporulated.
Oocysts are microscopic protozoa eggs. Fresh oocysts shed in a chicken's droppings are inactive and will remain inactive for one to two days until they get enough moisture, oxygen and heat to sporulate. Sporulation is the process that allows the oocyst to activate, mature and become infective. After sporulation, oocysts can then survive in the soil, litter, feed and dust for long periods of time depending on environmental conditions, which offers plenty of time for animals, pests or people to move them around.
While cocci are always present in chicken coops, they only become a problem when certain criteria are met. Infection occurs when a susceptible bird ingests a large amount of sporulated oocysts.
The life cycle of Eimeria parasites, which cause coccidiosis, begins in the bird. There are many different species of the genus Eimeria, and they all like to hang out in different areas of the digestive tract in different hosts. This is part of what makes them so tricky to beat.
For chickens, it is most common to see Eimeria tenella in the ceca or Eimeria necatrix in the small intestine, while coccidia may infect the entire intestinal tract in game birds, according to Dr. Richard W. Gerhold, Jr.'s article in the Merck Veterinary Manual.
When birds have a cocci infection of any type, the birds tend to show symptoms like diarrhea with mucus, weight loss, decreased egg production, decreased growth and decreased feed and water consumption.
The presence of mucus in chicken feces is a very common symptom of cocci. This happens as the bird’s gut attempts to protect itself from the cocci organisms by encasing them in mucus or coating the intestinal lining to prevent damage.
Unfortunately, overproduction of mucus can prevent the absorption of nutrients, leading to even more complications like malnutrition, diarrhea and weight loss. One way to help your birds through a cocci infection is to reduce the amount of mucus in the intestine. Although it has not been formally tested, we have been told by many chicken enthusiasts that Mother Load Apple Cider Vinegar is great for this.
Secondary clostridial infections also commonly affect chickens and can lead to additional clinical signs, such as fever, dehydration, discolored feces and rapid mortalities.
Ensure that your birds are healthy enough to manage an outbreak if it occurs. Remember, the most susceptible birds are the ones that are already weakened by something else. You can boost your birds' overall health by adding nutritional supplements, vitamins and probiotics to their drinking water.
It is also important to be mindful of coop cleanliness. Do not underestimate the power of litter management-both affected birds and recovered birds can shed inactive oocysts into their environment.
Once these oocysts are exposed to moisture, air and heat, they can sporulate and spread. Properly managed coop floors will not provide the moisture needed for these to progress to infective strains. Keep feces to a minimum by removing waste as often as necessary and refraining from overcrowding the coop.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about how to prevent coccidiosis in your birds, feel free to contact us at success@southlandorganics.com or 800-608-3755.