Thinking of introducing chicken to flock but fecal float came back with low coccidia

[Penguingirl216]

Hi - I was going to help out some friends who are down to one last hen and add her to my flock so she wouldn't be alone. I decided to do a fecal float test with a lab to make sure the new hen wasn't carrying anything before I took her from the friend's house and added her to my backyard. The fecal float came back with coccidia identified. The count was only 450 egg per gram. I think this is a very low amount from what I've been reading? Still, would it not be smart to introduce this hen to my flock if she's carrying some unknown species of coccidia? I don't know if it's a different species than one my girls are used to; my flock has been treated for coccidia before. Any thoughts? Thank you!

 

[rosemarythyme]

If coccidia is the only issue having some Corid on hand (just in case) would be enough to alleviate that concern for me.

I don't know what's considered a low or high count of coccidia but it's not abnormal for chickens to have some floating around in their system. It's only an issue if the count climbs so high that it affects their digestive system.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'll copy something I wrote a few years back at the end of this post. It's more about medicated feed but may help you understand some of the principles of coccidia and help you make your decision.

I agree with Rosemary. If that is a different strain, keep their conditions as dry as reasonable and they have an excellent chance of developing immunity to that strain. But learn the symptoms and start treating immediately if you suspect issues. It would not bother me to have my flock immune to an additional strain of Cocci as long as they can safely get that immunity.

First you need to know what the "medicated" is in the medicated feed. It should be on the label. Usually it is Amprolium, Amprol, some such product, but until you read the label, you really don't know. Most "medicated' feed from major brands for chicks that will be layers uses Amprolium, but there are a few out there mostly for broilers, that use other medicines. I'll assume yours is an Amprolium product, but if it is not, then realize everything I say about it may not apply. And it is possible that the "medicated" is Amprolium AND something else.

Amprolium is not an antibiotic. It does not kill anything. It inhibits the protozoa that cause coccidiosis (often called Cocci on this forum) from multiplying in the chicken's system. It does not prevent the protozoa from multiplying; it just slows that multiplication down. There are several different strains of protozoa that can cause Cocci, some more severe than others. Chickens can develop immunity to a specific strain of the protozoa, but that does not give them immunity to all protozoa that cause Cocci.

It is not a big deal for the chicken’s intestines to contain some of the protozoa that cause Cocci. The problem comes in when the number of those protozoa gets huge. The protozoa can multiply in the chicken’s intestines but also in wet manure. For them to reproduce they need some moisture. Slightly damp isn't an issue, soaking wet is. Different protozoa strains have different strengths, but for almost all cases, if you keep the brooder dry, you will not have a problem.

To develop immunity to a specific strain, that protozoa needs to be in the chicks intestines for two or three weeks. The normal sequence is that a chick has the protozoa. It poops and some of the cysts that develop the protozoa come out in the poop. If the poop is slightly damp, those cysts develop and will then develop in the chick's intestines when the chicks eat that poop. This cycle needs go on for a few weeks so all chicks are exposed and they are exposed long enough to develop immunity. A couple of important points here. You do need to watch them to see if they are getting sick. And the key is to keep the brooder dry yet allow some of the poop to stay damp. Not soaking wet, just barely damp. Wet poop can lead to serious problems.

What sometimes happens is that people keep chicks in a brooder and feed them medicated feed while they are in the brooder. Those chicks are never exposed to the Cocci protozoa that lives in the dirt in their run, so they never develop the immunity to it. Then, they are switched to non-medicated feed and put on the ground where they are for the first time exposed to the protozoa. They do not have immunity, they do not have the protection of the medicated feed, so they get sick. Feeding medicated feed while in the brooder was a complete waste.

I do not feed medicated feed. I keep the brooder dry to not allow the protozoa to breed uncontrollably. The third day that they are in the brooder, I take a scoop of dirt from the run and feed it to them so I can introduce the protozoa and they can develop the immunity they need to the strain they need to develop an immunity to. Since I keep my brooder extremely dry and the water clean the protozoa can't reproduce so every three days I give them more dirt from the run so they get more protozoa and can develop immunity. I don't lose chicks to Cocci when they hit the ground.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding medicated feed to chicks, whether the protozoa are present or not. It will not hurt them. They can still develop the immunity they need. But unless the protozoa are present, it also does no good.

If you get your chicks vaccinated for Cocci, do not feed medicated feed. It can negate the vaccinations.

 

[townchicks]

Good for you for thinking about taking in your friends lonely hen. The coccidia thing has been explained pretty well by Ridgerunner and keeping Corid on hand is pretty much all you need there. However, if you are really concerned about protecting your flock, a better approach would be to have a blood sample checked for Mycoplasma, (MG and MS), Avian Leucosis virus and Mereks. Chickens can be carriers of these and appear totally healthy. To be fair, I recommend also testing one of your birds, for all you may know, they could be carriers. I realize this is not always feasible, just food for thought. You would be surprised how many chickens can be healthy, active and laying, and be carriers of some or all of these viruses. Most people don't know, because they haven't tested or necropsied their flock. I don't want to scare you away from getting this poor girl, she needs someone to step up for her. Just want you to have the facts, to make a considered decision. I would do it, but that's what I do. Let us know, either way. No judgement.