[maddy]

Last year was my first year with kids and unfortunately had cocci which was dealt with with Baycox. 

This year I skip out the shed several times a day and generally being very observant.  Is there any precaution I can take to avoid this, this year?

The kids range from 1 week to 3 weeks old.

The vet said they have to gain immunity as the bug is all around and in the soil etc.

[plumseverywhere]

This was my big worry last year and I was told to half expect our kids to get it and treat with vecoxan should it happen. I think we were told at goat club to expect it around 6 weeks and to look out for the telltale dark scours?
I'm sure Anke or someone with lots of experience will be about soon but my little tale is that we got lucky and the vet said that some years are worse than others...he said something about a wet but warm april making things worse. Fingers crossed you will have a better year Maddy

[fifixx]

Take a sample of their poo in to the vets to do a fecal sample - then they can be dosed if necessary

[jinglejoys]

You can get anti cocci feed blocks

[wytsend]

I routinely dose kids from 4wks automatically..................simply because they are at a very important growth stage and dont need any setback.
Coccidiosis can manifest itself in several ways,  scour doesn't always happen !!!!   Sometimes kids will not finish a bottle, appear full afterwards but you know they cant be.    Sometimes you will get a yellowy milk wet back end but cant exacctly describe as scour...just not right !!!!              Then there are the exceptional cases where, with no symptoms whatsoever, you find a dead kid or two.
So now I dose early and then again at 6/7wks.            With this regime I have not had any further issues.
Call an insurance..............certainly cheaper than a dead kid.

[wytsend]

The feed blocks are OK but you are relying on the kids/goats using it.................I much prefer to know that they have had the correct dose

[Roxy]

I had never had any cases of cocci in all my years of goat keeping.....maybe just luck?  Not sure if it was down to the very wet summer  or something, but  last summer was a nightmare for me. Within a week I lost two kids, and then two more a few weeks later.  All were a picture of health, out in the fields, and then struck by scours.
 
Have moved goats now to other farm, but it taught me a lesson - treat the kids before it strikes.  just because I had never had it, did not mean they wouldn't the following year.

[ScotsGirl]

Yikes, is it continual scours or can it just be one off? I know it's in our soil but I treated mums and they are clear. How young can I treat? I had a couple that scoured once but I put it down to something they had eaten and a dose of live yogurt seemed to sort it.

[wytsend]

kids with cocci dont always scour !!!!!!   As I said above,   I treat routinely at 3/4weeks whether they have been exposed or not.   
They are born with a minute amount of coccidia in the gut which is harmless until.......it meets up with more or is stressed.
I also tend to treat adults once a year.
We have to remember that due to changing weather patterns that bugs also change, so what has gone before may no longer be the case.  In my view, it is better to be safe than sorry.     Yes Baycox & Vecoxan is expensive, but losing a much wanted kid is a great deal more expensive & heartbreaking.

[fifixx]

If you are weaning, it is advisable to treat for worms and cocci before as stress will make it more likely the cocci gets hold

[ScotsGirl]

I have now done 6 of kids for cocci and will do other 2 at weekend as only 2 weeks old. I will worm all together in a week then do normal fec in a few weeks. Got to start the weaning process for older kids soon 

[Maudlin-Matilda]

Thought this might be of interest to you all:

http://mdsheepgoat.blogspot.ie/2008/04/oregano-to-control-coccidiosis.html

http://www.meriden-ah.com/articles-of-interest/orego-stim-ruminant/90-effects-of-orego-stim-on-growth-a-coccidiosis-in-dairy-calves (study using calved but still interesting)

There's loads more about it on-line but some research is about chickens and cows.

[Maudlin-Matilda]

Another good link:

http://www.naturalnews.com/038594_chickens_oregano_oil_antibiotics.html

[jinglejoys]

Had to look that up (My mind kept asking what the heck folding paper had to do with anything!   )
    Sweet Marjoram,yes? Interesting

[Maudlin-Matilda]

  That's made my day!!!  Glad it's not just me who does things like that!