Hello JMartinz,
This is something that I have talked about with Dr. Gallardo about, quit a bit. It’s becoming a trend, but I doubt most know the true consequences of using Copper sulfate. Would I use it to cure coccidiosis, no. There is no need to use Copper Sulfate, when Amprolium (known as Corid) works just fine.
Copper Sulfate is a very stringent chemical, which is very hard on internal tissues and causes burns.To show you how harsh it can be, cattle breeders use it to kill footrot in the hooves. If you give Copper Sulfate to chickens, in their drinking water, you will upset all the mucosa and microbiota, within the digestive system of the bird. So, it’s really not made for birds and chickens, and not a great idea for your strain.
Now, it’s true, it does kill everything, and yes, it will kill coccidia, but you might end up with another problem, such as necrotic enteritis, which is very hard to cure, due to the interruption within the mucosa. With that said, coccidiosis can be bad, but if you use Copper Sulfate, you could cause a more severe effect on the mucosa in the intestines, than coccidia can even cause by itself. And, the younger the bird, the worse it is. It’s really bad for young chickens and baby chicks.
I would be very careful about using chemicals, such as Copper Sulfate for your birds.
Most use Copper Sulfate out of desperation, mainly for the fact that they always have sick chickens, and they are looking for that medical golden bullet, which doesn’t exist.
My approach is through prevention and selection. I practice really good biosecurity and farm management. This way you won’t need medications and chemicals. I also practice a method of breeding, known as, Breeding for Improved Disease Resistance.
Great news, I’m presently working on a Program and Masters Class Video to show you how to improve your strain to be more disease resistant.
I hope this helps!
Kenny

Medicated feeds only help with coccidiosis. But you still need to keep the litter dry and manage the loads. I don’t use it here. I make sure their environment is good, and I cull birds that don’t recover within a few days. If I have a hen, whose chicks always get coccidiosis, I will not breed her again.
I improve coccidiosis through proper management and selection.
I hope that helps.
Kenny

Great show on pox, I especially liked the idea of double vaccination to make sure the vaccine took. Have you done a show on CRD yet? Would love to learn more about that one.

That’s awesome Esther, so glad you are learning and enjoying the BA!
Kenny