Natural Treatments

Keeping birds in general good health is always important. Some small producers provide raw milk, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, or probiotics to birds, believing that beneficial microbes will prevent or treat coccidiosis. Actually, coccidia do not compete with bacteria in the gut; therefore, beneficial bacteria and other microbes will not eliminate coccidial development. However, anything that improves the overall health of the gut and the bird can help reduce the impact of coccidiosis. Also, a population of beneficial bacteria is always better than pathogenic bacteria, since coccidia weaken the gut wall, and bacteria may pass through. In short, feeding dairy products or probiotics will not stop the coccidia through “competitive exclusion” but does provide nutrients or beneficial bacteria that are useful in any situation.

Producers sometimes give diatomaceous earth (DE) to the birds in the belief that the sharp edges of the fossilized diatoms will damage the parasites and reduce coccidiosis; however, there is no scientific data to support its use.