Is there a way to test soil for coccidosis before introducing chickens? Or is it more of a "you get chickens, & find out" type of issue?
Coccidia is naturally in the soil and in the gut of chickens in a harmless form. You can assume some type of it is everywhere and there is no safe soil treatment to get rid out it. Chickens aren't the only animal affected either other animals get sick with it as well but chickens are always scratching and pecking at the ground and their own poop which is why they pick it up so easily. Coccidia is actually normally harmless it isnt in-till a bird sheds the oocysts and they have the right conditions to sporulate and THEN a bird ingests them again do they become a problem. Every chicken is bound to be exposed eventually, even indoor chickens.