help! coccidiosis! :(

[ChickenLittle]

So I have 9 chicks that are almost 4 weeks old. I let them out in the run on a warm day about 5 days ago. I did not start them with medicated chick starter simply because I couldn't find anyone who had it (the previous owners of tour farm had goats so I know the likelihood of coccidia in the ground is high). Well, yesterday when I checked on them a few had bloody s I immediately ran to a feed store and bought sulfaquinoxaline/pyrimethamine solution and they had medicated chick starter. One of the chicks was pretty lethargic and had bloody splatter . He didn't make it through the night and another one was a bit puffed up and sick looking this morning. I called a bunch of vets yesterday and nobody would sell me amprol. I found one today that changed their mind once one of the chicks had died. I assured them that I would not blame them if it didn't work because they would all likely die anyway without treatment. I cleaned out their brooder and moved them to a large crate that I could clean a bit easier and more frequently and lowered their heat lamp to keep them a bit warmer. Once I got home from getting the amprol the chick that was not looking so hot this morning is looking better. A bit more active, was drinking when I got home and had a full crop. Everything I have read says amprol is better and works faster. DO I switch? They are just at 24 hours of treatment. I am concerned that they are reaching peak concentrations in their bodies of the s/p and if I switch now they will have build up concentrations of the amprol. Also I don't want to run the risk of creating a super bug coccidia by only giving partial treatment. There seems to be less bloody in the brooder, only one or two have it and it is not just splatter but has solids in it. My initial gut reaction was to switch but now I think maybe I should stay on it for the full 48 hours and if it I still have sick chicks to switch to the amprol. These are my first chicks, I am definitely a newbie. I did a lot of research before getting them and I think I recognized it pretty quick.

[kenya]

Yes use the amprol the other isn't strong enough its a preventative not a cure the amprol is the cure.

[ChickenLittle]

ok, I'll switch. There was separate dosing on the bottle for curing and preventing. It was my gut to switch but they seem to be getting better which made me hesitate.

[ChickenLittle]

So my next question is dosing. The vet (who doesn't deal with chickens) said 2.5ml/L but other forums I have been on said 1.25ml/L. Starting out with 1.25 in case.

[kenya]

I would use the 1.25ml/L

[ChickenLittle]

ok, thanks! I thought it seemed a bit high. They all seem ok for now, really hoping I caught it in time! They all ran from me and went berserk when i opened their brooder. This morning one of them just lay there and stared at me. I measured it out in a 1 litre mason jar and am planning on changing the water a few times today since they often in their water dish. I feel better at least knowing I got something into them right away whether it was the "best" thing or not. And at least I can continue using it for preventative measures. There seems to be almost no new bloody s since I changed their shavings again a couple of hours ago. Only losing one and learning a big lesson is pretty lucky, fingers crossed! I am kicking myself though. A few days ago when I finally found a good feed store not too far from me I told him I wanted to do some preventative treatment on them but was doing dome research first. If I had bought it then and started it I amy have been able to avoid this

[ChickenLittle]

Also does anyone know how to turn off the automatic emojis? It bugs me that changes when I am talking about my sick chicks.

[kenya]

I don't find the medicated chick starter to help a whole lot, I find keeping the chicks very clean the easiest way to prevent it. I clean them out every day for the first month and start putting their food in a raised dish so they aren't tempted to eat their so much.

[ChickenLittle]

We have been pretty diligent about cleaning out their brooder as soon as it looks mucky, every day or every other day. I have their food and water raised as well and I wash out the dishes every day before feeding. I think it was the trip outside, the incubation period fits. I had heard the medicated starter didn't help much either which was why I wasn't too worried about it. I feel better having them on it now though just to make myself feel like I am doing the best I can.

[Happy]

Sorry to hear about your chicks. I have no advice on treatment because I've never had to treat it (touch wood)
Just thought I'd share something handy I've been using in my brooder and in my broody hen's cage.
I bought a cheap tray and some shelf liner at the dollar store. Flipped tray over and covered with shelf liner cut to fit (no slipping for little chick feet)
Every couple days I just shove a few more shavings under the tray to raise it up more. Mom hen can fling all the shavings she wants but so long as the water is in the middle of the tray it doesnt get filled. Keeps food and water a lot cleaner.

Best of luck that you don't have any more sickies.