Just when I thought I was in the clear, my current barn chicks just got hit with coccidia... (AGAIN!!! 
)
Let me share my frustrations...
So it all started in the summer, when Barn Swallows were nesting in the barn. They brought in the coccidia, I'm almost certain of it (Due to many bloody poop residue from the walls) Since I've discovered this, we have netted and sealed the barn from anymore wild birds. (Plus all that poop is extremely unsanitary and even hazardous. Lots of cleaning and scrapping had to be done after the fact..). Honestly wish we had known and did this sooner.
The first time I ever dealt with coccida in my flock was in one of the stalls this past summer. Thankfully, I was able to help them in time and lost no chicks to coccida. It happened again on a 2nd round of chicks, from which I lost almost 20 out of 56 chicks to. It hit them really hard... But now the rest are finally healthy and are outside and growing. That was around the time I had realized the barn swallows left traces of coccida in the barn. I could have also tracked it in without realizing too. But since then, I have tried my best to disinfect the stalls with Lysol/bleach and such.
I only found out today that bleach doesn't kill Coccidia (but ammonia is affective?)...... And here is where now my 3rd round of chicks just caught it (at a month old). I've cleaned the stall daily, and it has been fairly clean and mostly dry, but of course moisture will build up underneath the bedding where there is a lot of chick traffic. I figured, now they're at the age where they love to scratch and try to dig for the fallen chick starter.. This is where I figured they're getting the coccidia from. (Since the fallen food is likely getting pooped on and is in contact with an infected floor that i thought i disinfected.)
Right now, I divided the chicks into smaller groups, and am currently giving them an outbreak dosage of corid. I'm changing it daily so it's fresh, along with the bedding. I figured, smaller group of chicks = less poop, less mess, less moisture etc and more control. It doesn't look like all of them have it, but for all I know, they do. I had at least 1 chick with really bloody poops, but so far all are active and acting well. (No pale combs or droopiness yet).
The flooring is a rubber mat, and I cant say it was spotless after i had cleaned it in the stall the first time. But now I feel like I'm at a loss. I only just found out today that only ammonia is effective to coccidia when disinfecting. And here i was about to spend a good part of my day really making that stall spotless....
So, I guess I should ask, what is the best way to really disinfect this area? If I do clean with ammonia, should i let it soak for a while? Should I be careful about diluting it at all? I really just want these stalls as clean as possible. I just had a bunch of chicks hatch and now I'm concerned about putting them in the barn, but I need to clean and do something asap. They can't stay in the house forever.
I could also consider doing a light corid treatment everynow and then, but i'd rather not if they don't need it.
Guy's please forgive me, this is just what I'm hypothesizing after everything and research I've tried to do. Feel free to point me in the right direction. I'm earger to face this challenge and remedy any damage done..
)Let me share my frustrations...
So it all started in the summer, when Barn Swallows were nesting in the barn. They brought in the coccidia, I'm almost certain of it (Due to many bloody poop residue from the walls) Since I've discovered this, we have netted and sealed the barn from anymore wild birds. (Plus all that poop is extremely unsanitary and even hazardous. Lots of cleaning and scrapping had to be done after the fact..). Honestly wish we had known and did this sooner.
The first time I ever dealt with coccida in my flock was in one of the stalls this past summer. Thankfully, I was able to help them in time and lost no chicks to coccida. It happened again on a 2nd round of chicks, from which I lost almost 20 out of 56 chicks to. It hit them really hard... But now the rest are finally healthy and are outside and growing. That was around the time I had realized the barn swallows left traces of coccida in the barn. I could have also tracked it in without realizing too. But since then, I have tried my best to disinfect the stalls with Lysol/bleach and such.
I only found out today that bleach doesn't kill Coccidia (but ammonia is affective?)...... And here is where now my 3rd round of chicks just caught it (at a month old). I've cleaned the stall daily, and it has been fairly clean and mostly dry, but of course moisture will build up underneath the bedding where there is a lot of chick traffic. I figured, now they're at the age where they love to scratch and try to dig for the fallen chick starter.. This is where I figured they're getting the coccidia from. (Since the fallen food is likely getting pooped on and is in contact with an infected floor that i thought i disinfected.)
Right now, I divided the chicks into smaller groups, and am currently giving them an outbreak dosage of corid. I'm changing it daily so it's fresh, along with the bedding. I figured, smaller group of chicks = less poop, less mess, less moisture etc and more control. It doesn't look like all of them have it, but for all I know, they do. I had at least 1 chick with really bloody poops, but so far all are active and acting well. (No pale combs or droopiness yet).
The flooring is a rubber mat, and I cant say it was spotless after i had cleaned it in the stall the first time. But now I feel like I'm at a loss. I only just found out today that only ammonia is effective to coccidia when disinfecting. And here i was about to spend a good part of my day really making that stall spotless....
So, I guess I should ask, what is the best way to really disinfect this area? If I do clean with ammonia, should i let it soak for a while? Should I be careful about diluting it at all? I really just want these stalls as clean as possible. I just had a bunch of chicks hatch and now I'm concerned about putting them in the barn, but I need to clean and do something asap. They can't stay in the house forever.
I could also consider doing a light corid treatment everynow and then, but i'd rather not if they don't need it.
Guy's please forgive me, this is just what I'm hypothesizing after everything and research I've tried to do. Feel free to point me in the right direction. I'm earger to face this challenge and remedy any damage done..
