AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

# not sure if I posted this along with the Baycox treatment post [cant find it anyway] so just incase - am either posting or re-posting = if re-post = I will delete this one



Coccidiosis is spread when one bird eats faecal material from an infected bird, which contains the infective stage of the coccidia (small egg-like bodies called oocysts).

The oocysts in the droppings need moisture and warmth to mature before they can infect other birds, but in the right conditions, can do so very quickly (24 hr). Oocysts can remain alive in poultry sheds and soil for more than a year and they are very resistant to most disinfectants.

Oocysts are ingested when birds scratch and peck at the litter or consume contaminated feed or water. Each oocyst breaks down in the gut to release eight organisms that invade the lining of the gut.

They then multiply through several cycles to produce thousands of parasites, damaging the gut and causing disease that may lead to the fowl's death.

Beginning five to seven days after infection, thousands of oocysts pass out in the droppings of the bird to continue the life cycle. It is impossible to prevent this spread unless birds are housed so that they have no contact with faeces.

Signs to look for regards infestation :-
Initially an infected bird may only look listless so you have to watch it closely. They will often continue to eat and drink normally until they are near death when they fluffy up and just ‘sit and wait’.

Loose motions or diarrhoea with red spots in the motion are a sign of infestation, with large amounts of blood loss via faecal matter showing a serious infestation.

A noticeable weight loss, some birds will become so thin they are ‘keel boned’ = no obvious breast meat is present only the breast bone can be felt = at this point it is kinder to put the bird down.

Pale comb, wattles, facial skin are also signs of infestation as the birds often become very anaemic from the loss of blood via faecal matter, but this usually only displays in a serious infestation.


Birds can also get Respiratory Diseases with Cocci so be very aware of this and watch for the various respiratory symptoms; if unsure take the bird to an Avian Vet. You may only be treating for Cocci when you should be treating for both.