Couldn't get medicated feed

[Uzuri]

I can't believe I'm posting this, because I'm usually all about avoiding preventative medication BUT I had a problem with cocci this spring, and I'm raising the peeps outside in an area where the adults have been previously. It's also remained unusually wet this year, which I know the cocci likes.

The peeps will be starting in a doghouse that the adults used as a nesting box when out in the mobile run. It's "clean", but it ain't sterile. For some reason when I was actually looking FOR it, rather than AVOIDING it, I couldn't get the amprolium laced feed. I have corid on hand from the spring.

Should I:
-Cross my fingers and hope for the best, holding the corid for if a problem occurs.
-Low-dose now with the corid (if so, what dose? It's the powder, for cattle)
-Low-dose at the high risk point (4 wks) with the corid
-Dose everybody at 12 wks when we put them together
-Attempt to simulate "under the hen" raising, with supervised time on the ground each evening (can't do it all the time because they're small enough to squirt out the sides of the mobile coop at the moment) to build immunity. I'd love to do this, but I'm betting I wouldn't be able to stick with it consistently.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I like the blocker, Amprollium. As you know, it's put in chick starter (medicated) at tiny amounts to act more as a blocker. That would be my approach is blocking and allowing the chicks to strengthen their immune system, which is what amp does. Don't know about using a treatment drug preventively. Does the label or maker's website suggest that it can be used this way?

 

[Uzuri]

Corid is amprolium (see the maker's site: http://www.corid.com/)

Same stuff. Corid's just a brand name.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Excellent.

 

[Fred's Hens]

http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/poultrypages/diseasefactsheet.html

See if this site offers you the dosing you desire.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If your older chickens have the cocci protozoa, and you know they do, you need to expose the young ones to it as soon as you can. The younger they are, the easier it is for them to build up their immunity to it. The Amprolium level in the medicated feed does not wipe out the protozoa. Instead it inhibits the protozoa from reproducing, yet allows enough to live and reproduce that the chicks can build up their immunity. Corid used to treat outbreaks is given in a much stronger dosage. I have not used it so I don't know if it is strong enough to prevent them from developing that immunity. Getting the dosage where it is preventative and not treating will be the trick and I just don't have experience doing that. They need the protozoa to be present in their system two to three weeks to build up that immunity.

The site Fred gave you was for treatment, not prevention.

Prevent by keeping birds dry; feed 0.0125% Amprol continuously to 8 weeks of age.
Amprol @ 1/3 oz. Powder/gallon water 10-14 days for treatment.

Maybe you can contact the makers and ask them what the dosage would be for prevention? Or just chat with them about the problem. Even with the medicated feed, they can still get sick from cocci, expecially if the area is wet.

I don't know how dry your dog house area is. The danger is usually when it is wet. Pretty dry or even slightly damp is usually not a problem with cocci. You mentioned it is unusually wet this year so you may have a problem.

I don't know what I would do in your situation. If the area is not too wet, I'd probably just go with it and keep the corid handy. If it is real dry, I would probably get a shovel full of dirt with the adults' fresh poop in it and put it in the chicks area to make sure they are exposed early and keep an area slightly damp (maybe they will do that for you at their waterer) so the protozoa can stick around long enough for them to get immunity. If it is wet, I'd probably look real hard for a way to give them some preventative amprolium and keep the corid handy. And I'd look for a way to dry it out if I could. That last is not always easy.

The danger times are when they first hit the ground, when they hit a new piece of ground, and when you mix them. All represent a chance for them to be exposed to cocci protozoa they are not immune to. There are several different cocci protozoa and immunity to one does not give them immunity to all.

Good luck!

 

[Uzuri]

Well, the doghouse was pretty much bone dry this morning, so I grabbed a handful of dirty bedding from the adult coop and put it in there with them. I guess I'll keep putting in some "fresh" dirty bedding every day and see what we come up with.