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| jasperfarm |
What is coccidiosis? What
are the symptoms of coccidiosi and how those it transfer? These and many more
will be discus in this write up.
Coccidiosis is one out of diseases commonly found in the poultry farm, by definition Coccidiosis is a common protozoan disease in domestic birds and other fowl, characterized by enteritis and bloody diarrhea.
Coccidiosis is caused by protozoa of the phylum Apicomplexa, family Eimeriidae. In poultry, most species belong to the genus Eimeria and infect various sites in the intestine.
They are microscopic parasitic organism which has negative effect on the poultry animals when they ingested by the birds (chickens).
These parasites are found in the ground, birds droppings (feces) and attached themselves to the lining in the gut. They begins to develop from here by multiplying and becomes oocyst (pronounced oost), feeding in the digestive track which will make it bleed.
Once infected it passes the parasites in its feces days before signs occur. The coccidia that affect chickens do not affect other types of livestock, and vice versa.
Chickens can carry nine different types of coccidia, making it more important to understand that clinical disease is dependent on which species of coccidia are present and in what level.
The presence of a few coccidial eggs or oocysts may not equal a diagnosis of the disease.
Coccidiosis is one out of diseases commonly found in the poultry farm, by definition Coccidiosis is a common protozoan disease in domestic birds and other fowl, characterized by enteritis and bloody diarrhea.
Coccidiosis is caused by protozoa of the phylum Apicomplexa, family Eimeriidae. In poultry, most species belong to the genus Eimeria and infect various sites in the intestine.
They are microscopic parasitic organism which has negative effect on the poultry animals when they ingested by the birds (chickens).
These parasites are found in the ground, birds droppings (feces) and attached themselves to the lining in the gut. They begins to develop from here by multiplying and becomes oocyst (pronounced oost), feeding in the digestive track which will make it bleed.
Once infected it passes the parasites in its feces days before signs occur. The coccidia that affect chickens do not affect other types of livestock, and vice versa.
Chickens can carry nine different types of coccidia, making it more important to understand that clinical disease is dependent on which species of coccidia are present and in what level.
The presence of a few coccidial eggs or oocysts may not equal a diagnosis of the disease.
How those coccidiosis transmit
Infection is via the fecal-oral route. Under the good and conducive environmental
conditions, like increased moisture, the oocysts can contaminate all areas of
the chicken’s environment, these including feed, litter, and soil, and they
remaining active for months.
Therefore it is now important to control moisture level and the substrate (litter materials) in the farm. Wet litter may have a strong ammonia smell which can cause coccidial overgrowth and other flock management problems.
Moisture content must be controlled during the raining season and around leak water areas. Humans (farmers) can also transmit coccidiosis, through shoes and equipments.
If we go to visit our neighbor’s farms, we can carry diseases back and forth between the flocks. So to prevent this, limit access to your farm (flock) and be smart about visiting others.
In the commercial poultry industry, it is standard practice to wear boots and hair nets, wash your car before and after your visit, and even wait for at least 24 hours before visiting a new flock of birds.
Therefore it is now important to control moisture level and the substrate (litter materials) in the farm. Wet litter may have a strong ammonia smell which can cause coccidial overgrowth and other flock management problems.
Moisture content must be controlled during the raining season and around leak water areas. Humans (farmers) can also transmit coccidiosis, through shoes and equipments.
If we go to visit our neighbor’s farms, we can carry diseases back and forth between the flocks. So to prevent this, limit access to your farm (flock) and be smart about visiting others.
In the commercial poultry industry, it is standard practice to wear boots and hair nets, wash your car before and after your visit, and even wait for at least 24 hours before visiting a new flock of birds.
Symptoms
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| jasperfarm |
Outward signs in chickens include droopiness and listlessness, loss of appetite, loss of yellow color in shanks, pale combs and wattles, ruffled, unthrifty feathers, huddling or acting chilled, blood or mucus in the poo, diarrhea, dehydration, and even death. Other signs include poor feed digestion, poor weight gain, and poor feed efficiency.
The effect of coccidiosis on
the birds
Coccidiosis surely most show negative effect on the flock in
one way or the other. As we all know that as disease affect human so also they
have effect on animals, therefore in the case of coccidiosis, they have the
following effect on the birds.
1. Reduction in egg production
2. It affect growth rate
3. It affect feed intake conversion rate
4. It might lead to the death of birds
5. It result to shortage or lost of resources.
Prevention and treatment
To any problem, I think there must be a possible solution,
what are the possible solutions to the outbreak of coccidiosis in the farm.
Remember the saying that says prevention is better than cure, I believe the best is to do your best to prevent the outbreak of cocci than try to treat.
Remember the saying that says prevention is better than cure, I believe the best is to do your best to prevent the outbreak of cocci than try to treat.
Prevention
Disease prevention is always more desirable
than treatment this is especially true for backyard poultry.
Commercial producers have several inherent advantages with respect to prevention, including enhanced biosecurity, more effective cleaning and disinfection practices, and better access to vaccines.
Even so, there are several relatively simple prevention methods that should be utilized by all poultry owners to reduce coccidiosis in the environment and the risk of coccidia infection in your birds.
Commercial producers have several inherent advantages with respect to prevention, including enhanced biosecurity, more effective cleaning and disinfection practices, and better access to vaccines.
Even so, there are several relatively simple prevention methods that should be utilized by all poultry owners to reduce coccidiosis in the environment and the risk of coccidia infection in your birds.
Some prevention method include: Controlling
moisture with the appropriate installation and management of watering systems.
Mainly, using nipple drinkers to reduce spillage of water onto litter instead of bell and trough drinkers. If at all possible, periodically move the location of your chickens.
Any area that is consistently covered with manure will eventually have a high load of bacteria, viruses, and parasites like coccidia.
Leaving land fallow for several weeks is one of the most effective ways to reduce the pathogen load in the environment.
Mainly, using nipple drinkers to reduce spillage of water onto litter instead of bell and trough drinkers. If at all possible, periodically move the location of your chickens.
Any area that is consistently covered with manure will eventually have a high load of bacteria, viruses, and parasites like coccidia.
Leaving land fallow for several weeks is one of the most effective ways to reduce the pathogen load in the environment.
Another effective
way including anticoccidials such as medicated feed,into diets at
recommended levels will prevent clinical infection.
This is very important for the first month of the chick’s life since her immune system hasn’t fully developed.
This is very important for the first month of the chick’s life since her immune system hasn’t fully developed.
Treatment
Coxoid is a widely
available treatment and other treatments are available from a Vet or licensed
supplier e.g. Baycox.
Egg withdrawal periods (i.e. eggs must not be eaten) are normally needed with treatments and then followed up with a health tonic e.g. Lifeguard Poultry Tonic.
Coxoid is administered in their drinking water for seven days, egg withdrawal period 28 days.
Egg withdrawal periods (i.e. eggs must not be eaten) are normally needed with treatments and then followed up with a health tonic e.g. Lifeguard Poultry Tonic.
Coxoid is administered in their drinking water for seven days, egg withdrawal period 28 days.
Clean their house, run and the ground they live on, and all utensils with Bi-OO-Cyst Coccidial Disinfectant which will kill all coccidial parasites.
For the ground we recommend Stalosan F Powder or Net-tex Ground Sanitising Powder which dries up the area where they live and prevent the dampness that oocysts thrive in.
Regular use of this will prevent any further infections. Parasites can live in empty houses, and the ground, for several months.
Conclusion
Conclusively, as it
is possible for cocci to impact negative effect on the development and the
production of the birds and the management of the farm as a whole, so it is
very important to do all you could in making sure those cocci will not show up.
If they show up, try your effort to prevent its occurrence in the farm.
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