Coccidiosis is one of the enemies of the poultry keeper and the pigeon fancier, whether your flock is a pair of pet chickens in the back garden or thousands of semi-wild pheasants. Its cause is a protozoan parasite not dissimilar in its make up to the one that causes malaria in humans, infecting the intestinal tract and capable of causing death, particularly in poults.
Depending on the level of exposure to these parasites a bird can either develop an immunity (in the case of low level exposure) or it can start to lose condition and weight, bringing about a decrease in egg production. Birds can develop bloody diarrhoea and even dribbling from the beak until ultimately the whole flock could be lost.
According to the University of Reading's Department of Agricultural and Food Economics there are no survey data on the number of incidences of coccidiosis in British commercial flocks, though some indication of its prevalence may be gained from the significant amount spent on its prevention.
They quote a 1994 report (using 1990 prices) that estimated the cost to be £5.5 million.
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More recently the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) estimated the cost at as much as £40 million.
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It is because of the economical importance of coccidiosis that the National Office of Animal Health Ltd (NOAH), which represents the animal feeds industry encouraged DEFRA's Select Committee in 2003 to support the authorisation of several coccidiostats (agents useful in the prevention and treatment of coccidiosis) by European regulatory bodies.
A particular problem for all poultry keepers is the risk of infected ground by oocysts. These are a form of the parasite that passes in the bird's droppings and then forms spores which can infect the ground for months, even years.
The spores are resistant to many disinfectants and can be spread around on the bottom of your shoe. Freezing does kill the oocysts but hoping for a hard frost is hardly responsible husbandry.
Because chickens and other fowl love to rootle and rummage they are especially susceptible to infection from the soil-borne spores. The first precaution for owners is to keep the birds' environment as free of the oocysts as possible and that means ensuring the chicken litter is clean and changed frequently (every three days in the case of young chickens).
As far as pharmaceuticals are concerned there are usually two ways to deal with coccidiosis: vaccination and anti-coccidials. Vaccines, such as Paracox, introduce coccidials into the bird at a young age so that it can build up an immunity. For owners of small or hobby flocks the drugs must be prescribed by a vet
In large commercial flocks anti-coccidials and cocciocides are applied either in the birds' water or with their feed; it is also possible to buy chick feed already containing medication, such as the anticoccidial Amprol Plus, with a vet's prescription.
There are some concerns about anti-coccidials, namely that the coccidiosis parasite can develop resistance to treatment and also that there may be residual traces of the drug in the meat. For these reasons changing the type of drug periodically is advisable and recommended withdrawal periods must be adhered to.
In the case of chickens (and their eggs) meant for the table, some owners may be more comfortable with natural products but are concerned that they may not be as effective as man-made drugs. Natural Animal Feeds, based in south Wales, has developed a health supplement for chickens and other fowl that appears to meet both criteria.
Anyone interested in becoming an agent for Life-Guard Tonic or other NAF products or need further information can contact Natural Animal Feeds on Freephone: 0800 373 106.
Email: help@life-guard.co.uk
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