Kick in the pants :(

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Skinny rooster
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Kick in the pants :(

Post by Skinny rooster » Tue Jul 04, 2017 3:41 pm

Sunday morning when I was feeding the Welsummer chicks, I thought they looked so good, all feathered out and healthy. I baby them, I go out every night to make sure they are sleeping in a dry spot, no drafts etc. It has been so wet, damp and humid lately I have been extra careful. Monday I went out and there was bloody manure. Everybody was lively but I figured get on top of this immediately so I called my vet. I took a sample to her and she called back saying coccidiosis. At night every one still seemed fine, in fact I was a little embarrassed that I panicked so fast because there wasn't much bloody manure. I went to pick up the medication in the morning and when I came back.... three little hens dead, son of a bleep bleep!!! One was even a big strong girl, it even looked like she had a heart attack and fell backwards. Two of the other little hens are looking bad. Of course all the roosters are fine, they will come through no problem.
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Silverlacedmom
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Re: Kick in the pants :(

Post by Silverlacedmom » Tue Jul 04, 2017 3:52 pm

Oh my gosh, so very sorry...that sounds horrible!

What kinda medicine did they give to treat that? I always have tetracycline on hand here, and had to go do great lengths to get some. (closest vet here is 3 hours south, but actually found some over 12+ hours away near Toronto)

I hope that you get everything under control. I have never heard of anyone getting coccidiosis (just aware that it is a serious issue and there is medicated feed for it),

What are the steps of getting rid of it? Cleaning the coop out and I guess bleaching everything??? (thats what I would assume to do???)

Thoughts and prayers to you and your little feather friends! Hoping for no more casualties!
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Happy
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Re: Kick in the pants :(

Post by Happy » Tue Jul 04, 2017 4:42 pm

Wow that's fast! How old are these birds Skinny? I've never dealt with this but have heard it seems to be much more common this year. Scary. I hope the rest pull through for you.
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Skinny rooster
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Re: Kick in the pants :(

Post by Skinny rooster » Tue Jul 04, 2017 8:03 pm

I put them on tetracycline right away but she said that will not help them. Obviously she is right since they went from happy chicks to dead in a short while. She gave me a liquid medicine that I mix into their water. I have to treat for a week. Keep cleaning out their bedding she said and maybe use that special earth everyone talks about, begins with a "d" sorry my mind is slipping. They are six weeks old today. I had them on medicated feed. It's apparently more like tiny tiny bugs than a disease so I have to prevent them from reinfecting themselves. My happy place is not happy. Nobody died since this morning but I was stunned when I saw them. Interesting to note that again it's the Welsummers, so far the bantams seem ok, but who knows what will happen in the next few days. I remember that peaceful time last fall when I sold all my chickens. Hmmmmm.
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kenya
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Re: Kick in the pants :(

Post by kenya » Tue Jul 04, 2017 8:39 pm

Yes antibiotics won't help at all, coccocidosis is a parasite in the bowels you need ampro to cure it. Its in the bowels and chicks get it from eating their feces, its the number one killer of young farm animals first symptom is diarrhea. So sorry for your birds, hope the rest survive, course the roosters are fine isn't that always the way.
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LongCrow
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Re: Kick in the pants :(

Post by LongCrow » Tue Jul 04, 2017 8:49 pm

The d word you are thinking of is "Diatomaceous earth"
The medication most likely Amprol and is a coccidiosis blocker that prevents the parasites from growing in the bird. If so it is not an antibiotic and can be given to laying hens.
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ChickenLittle
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Re: Kick in the pants :(

Post by ChickenLittle » Tue Jul 04, 2017 9:44 pm

I lost a chick to coccidiosis too :( Amprol is the med of choice for sure. No point disinfecting, that stuff lives forever. The people who owned our farm before us had goats 20 years ago which is likely how the ground got contaminated. Syringe feed your sickest birds with the medicated water, it works really fast. I ended up saving two of three very very sick chicks that way. Diatomaceous earth is sketchy. There isn't any good research out there of its effectiveness and it is super dangerous to breathe. You are supposed to wear a mask handling it so it doesn't damage your lungs, chickens do not have that choice. I bought a bag at a health food store before I researched it and ended up tossing it. Good luck!!!
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labradors
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Re: Kick in the pants :(

Post by labradors » Wed Jul 05, 2017 9:29 am

So sorry to hear about the sick and dead chicks :(

I bought the D.E. granules. Do you think they would be a better idea than the dust? I was told to sprinkle some around in the pine shavings.....

Linda
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WLLady
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Re: Kick in the pants :(

Post by WLLady » Wed Jul 05, 2017 10:52 am

sorry you lost the birds, that sucks. you can get medicated starter, it's got amprol in it, and has saved me a world of troubles over the years. what it does is gives the chicks a little bit of amprol right from day 1, and they can develop the resistance to cocci with the amount that is in the feed. so they don't get cocci...keep them on the medicated starter until you switch to grower and they should be just fine. only time i ended up with cocci after switching was with some free rangers that decided the manure pile was an awesome forage ground, along with a whole flock of newly fledge sparrows and starlings. amprol in the water for a week.....cocci has a smell to it, the coop will get a particular smell....one you won't forget if you can smell it.
DE is diatomaceous earth, it will help to dry the coop out. the trick to treating and not getting reinfected is to clean everything thoroughly after a few days of treatment-while the birds are still being treated but are looking healthy again. wash everything down with bleach or virkon or whatever you use to disinfect, and then new litter back in and birds back in.
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Killerbunny
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Re: Kick in the pants :(

Post by Killerbunny » Wed Jul 05, 2017 10:54 am

The medicated feed is only meant to keep the parasite to a low level so the chick can gain some immunity. If there are a lot of parasties say in wet ground or if the chicks are weakened in any way the parasite can multiply enough to harm them. This is when you need to medicate with Amprol. I would also suggest you keep the waterers off the ground on a block or something so thy don't become contaminated. Good Luck, they should start to do better once they're on the Amprol.
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