Coccidiosis In Chickens

Coccidiosis is a common parasitic disease of poultry which affects the digestive tract and is primarily found in chickens and turkeys. An infected chicken will have been infected for a considerable time (weeks) before it starts to show any signs of disease. During this time it will be excreting large numbers of oocysts into the environment in its faeces. These can survive well in the environment and are a potential source of infection for other birds in the group, especially where faeces contaminate drinkers and / or feeders. Birds are infected by ingesting (eating) oocysts. For this reason, once one bird has been diagnosed with coccidiosis, it is important to treat the whole group. Coccidiosis can be diagnosed most easily by post mortem examination of a dead bird, but also by examination of the faeces for oocysts in a laboratory.

Symptoms Of Coccidiosis

• Ruffled feathers.
• Unthriftiness.
• Head drawn back into shoulders.
• A chilled appearance.
• Diarrhea which may have blood in it.

Coccidiosis In Chickens

• Coccidiosis is caused by a protozoan parasite (coccidia).
• Poultry are exposed to the protozoan parasite via their droppings, dirty drinkers and damp litter in their huts.
• Coccidia thrives in damp conditions such as damp chicken litter and is found in chicken manure.
• Coccidia can also be found in water that is not kept clean and free of chicken droppings.
  

Treatment For Coccidiosis

• Separate affected poultry and use medicated feed and water.
• Use of coccidiostats.

Prevention

• Keeping poultry on a wire floor where their droppings can fall through.
• Feeding coccidiostats in the growing diet can help the poultry to build up an immunity to coccidiosis.
• Vaccinate against coccidiosis.

The resistance of the birds can be increased directly by using medicated feeds or by vaccination and indirectly by ensuring all management factors are well controlled and that the birds are otherwise in good health, as a bird that is ill with one disease will be more susceptible to other diseases.

The environmental challenge can be reduced by general good hygiene measures, however coccidia oocysts are very tough and are resistant to many disinfectants. However, they are very susceptible to extremes of hot and cold, so steam cleaning is a good way of getting rid of them, ammonia based disinfectants are a second best. Also, keeping groups separate from each other and not introducing new birds will reduce the chances of introducing an infection to an established group.