By Chelsea Hill
Spring has sprung in areas of Pennsylvania, which means many sheep and goat producers are raising kids and lambs to sell to the live markets to fulfill holiday demands. To get the best performance out of growing lambs and kids, it's imperative to provide good nutrition and a clean, warm, and well-ventilated environment. Just by focusing on these few items, we prevent or, at a minimum, reduce the incidences of disease in our flocks and herds. One of the diseases that has a significant economic impact on the performance of our lambs and kids is coccidiosis.
Coccidiosis is the parasitic infection of the intestines of our lambs and kids by the protozoa in the genus Eimeria. Species within the genus Eimeria are host-specific, meaning they only affect either sheep or goats. Like many other internal parasites in the small ruminant industry, it's nearly impossible to have a flock or herd that does not have coccidia present in some concentration.
There are two types of coccidiosis infections: clinical, which is more severe and can be physically observed, and subclinical, which shows no obvious signs of disease but has a larger economic impact on producers. Clinical signs of coccidia infections include diarrhea (can be bloody in lambs or black and watery with mucus in kids), lack of appetite, dehydration, weight loss, and death. Subclinical signs include slow weight gain and decreased feed efficiency.
Source : psu.edu