[jhub]

Hello people,
My 8 week old chicks were vaccinated against coccidiosis however can get get a different strain?
One of the chicks is passing orange poo- it looks caecal but it's happening a couple of times a day.
She's otherwise well although subjected to feather pecking by one of the others.
They're on non medicated crumb mixed with growers.
What do you think?
Many thanks,
Jane

[splash101]

my 6 week old chicks started passing caecal poop so i think thats normal.

With coccidiosis there is blood in their poop, you cant really mistake it for anthing orange looking. They get poorly very quickly and tend not to move even to drink and look very sorry for themselves.

i've had chicks on medicated food and have still managed to get it.

im sure someone with more knowledge will be able to help you a bit more

[GrannieAnnie]

Well I'm no expert, but if you get a young chick with cocci, it will probably be dead within a few days.  I had a couple who got it, don't know know how when they were still in the brooder shed, but that's besides the point.  cocci gives a bright red blood in the poo, you can't mistkae it for anything caecal believe me!

There are various strains of coccidiosis, so yes they can get a different strain.  Who vaccinated the chicks?  Are you positive they were vaccinated? 

When I have bought chickens that are said to have been vaccinated, I've never been offered any proof, but once when I decided to vaccinate my chicks, I wrote all the info on little notes and gave a copy to each of my customers, so if anything happened, they could trace the vaccines right back to the manufacturer.

I hope your little ones will be okay Jane!

[jhub]

Thanks for your replies Splash and GA
I've only the breeder's guarantee they've been vaccinated.
They aren't unwell so I guess it must be caecal poo- certainly looks like one from the poo picture gallery.
At what age should they be wormed?
Many thanks,
Jane

[GrannieAnnie]

I don't like giving them any more than they need in the way of medications, so don't worm them until they are about 16 weeks old, unless you think they've got worms.

Some people then worm as often as every month, but ours only get flubenvet twice a year.

[jhub]

Ok. Thanks.

[Casey76]

There are about 26 different strains of coccidia

[jhub]

And how many strains is the vaccine effective against?

[Casey76]

It depends.  The reference I found from Merck contains 5 strains.  However immunity agains tone strain may also impart partial immunity against others depending on how similar the parasites are.

Coccidia vaccines are failrly new, and weren't needed before the advent of mass production.

It is almost guaranteed that adult chickens have some form or another of coccidia, but they show no symptoms, unless they are newly exposed to a new strain.  In chicks, until they develop immunity it can be very quickly fatal, often in less than 24 hours of the first symptoms appearing.  Chicks will appear lethargic, not be interested in food or water, and they will exhibit blood in the fecal matter.

Chicks will start to pass cecal poos from a very early age, even as young as a week old.

If your chicks have been outside, it is likely they will have built up some natural immunity to coccidiosis by now, even if they hadn't been vaccinated.  Normally, by the time they get to 8 weeks old coccidiosis, the infection shouldn't have too much of an impact on them.  It is dangerous only to very young chicks.

[jhub]

Thanks so much everyone. Learning new things every day.
Jane