Oh no!!! Coccidiosis!!!!

This morning I awoke and looked in my brooder to see bloody chicken stools all over the place! I have 4 hens about 5-7 weeks old. I have separated all of them into their own bins so I can see who has what symptoms (all bloody stools). I ran to the store first thing this morning and got the corid and medicated feed (locally made and also has corid in it). They all seem to be at different stages.
One produced a normal poop a bit ago after producing bloody ones. I'm hoping that's a good sign.
One won't eat. Not even her favorite treat (eggs).
The other two are eating a little but are lethargic for their usual.

No unstable walks.

Anything else I can do? Odds? Did I catch it quick enough?

Not to downplay your situation but I've been there. I woke up one morning after a night out on the town and saw my chick grow out pen full of bloody poo and started freaking out!

I used Sulmet.

Just a little in the water for 2 days [for chicks] and it cleared right up. After the 2 days of sulmet I added probiotics to their water [ACV with the mother] to help their digestive system build up some good gut bacteria.

From experience, my chicks who are on unmedicated feed usually pick it up in my yard within the first week of being introduced to living outside. I just keep sulmet on hand for them.

Best of luck!

Not really any need to separate them, they will get stressed more by being alone. Just be sure to run the course of Corid for the full 5 days, they should clear up and be fine. Since they are feeling crummy it would be a very good idea to carefully give them the medicated water with an eyedropper several times a day the first day or so until you see them perk up. If I have one that is very lethargic, not eating/drinking I dose it every couple hours the first day. Just dribble in the side of their beaks slowly and let them swallow. Be sure to make it up fresh every day so it doesn't loose strength.

I would stick with Corid rather then Sulmet, Sulmet can be very harsh on birds guts, especially chicks. Corid is much gentler and very effective.

I have a question,

After one treats birds with Corid for Coccidiosis, do they become carriers for life?

Glad everyone is saying it's not the death sentence I've heard it was! Thank you!

They are all on Corid. Only one is turning down food but I can get her to drink her water so I coax her every hour or so. She looks interested in food but doesn't actually eat. Hopefully over the next day or so, that will change. I haven't noticed any decline since this morning and there is improvement in a couple of them. All are still very alert.

I separated them but they can all poke their beaks and heads at each other. I wanted to be able to monitor them individually since I wasn't sure who or how many were spewing bloody stools, who was eating or not, or who was drinking or not. I only have 4.

If this goes well and they make it through, does this make them more susceptible to getting it again? Or perhaps the opposite, more immune having already had it?

mp5girl said:

Glad everyone is saying it's not the death sentence I've heard it was! Thank you!

They are all on Corid. Only one is turning down food but I can get her to drink her water so I coax her every hour or so. She looks interested in food but doesn't actually eat. Hopefully over the next day or so, that will change. I haven't noticed any decline since this morning and there is improvement in a couple of them. All are still very alert.

I separated them but they can all poke their beaks and heads at each other. I wanted to be able to monitor them individually since I wasn't sure who or how many were spewing bloody stools, who was eating or not, or who was drinking or not. I only have 4.

If this goes well and they make it through, does this make them more susceptible to getting it again? Or perhaps the opposite, more immune having already had it?

Click to expand...

They will be less susceptible as they will develop immunity to the stains of coccidia in their environment, including what they have now. It's still always possible for any bird to develop a case of coccidiosis at any time in life if they are exposed to a strain that is new to them or if their immune system is weak due to other illness. It's just much more common in youngsters.

Coccidiosis is everywhere and it is nowhere. Coccidiosis is not a bacteria or virus but a one celled internal parasite found in the dirt that attacks and feeds on the intestinal walls, hence you see blood in the feces. A little Coccidiosis is not necessarily a bad thing a lot of Coccidiosis is a bad thing. There is no such thing as a chicken who is a carrier of Coccidiosis, as far as I am aware they all carry it to one degree or the other.

chickengeorgeto said:

Coccidiosis is everywhere and it is nowhere. Coccidiosis is not a bacteria or virus but a one celled internal parasite found in the dirt that attacks and feeds on the intestinal walls, hence you see blood in the feces. A little Coccidiosis is not necessarily a bad thing a lot of Coccidiosis is a bad thing. There is no such thing as a chicken who is a carrier of Coccidiosis, as far as I am aware they all carry it to one degree or the other.

Click to expand...

Exactly....so they are indeed carriers in a sense since it is normal for chickens to have a few of the protozoa in their gut, they've simply developed immunity to it. Toss in some new birds and they might pick up a case of coccidiosis if the strain of cocci on the property is different from what they've been in contact with previously. Or the other way around, new birds can bring in a new stain to existing birds. Nasty little thing the coccidia bug!

There are at least 9 and maybe more coccidia strains that affect chickens. Other species get other strains. Chickens build up immunity gradually to what's in their home soil, but if they move, they can take their strain with them and infect others. Then they might get sick from the new strain in the new yard. Sulmet (a sulfa drug) only treats the 2 worst strains of cocci, and as Cafarmgirl said, it can be hard on them. Di-Methox is another sulfa drug that will treat cocci plus other diseases like coryza and some intestinal diseases. Corid (amprollium) or Ampromed is good to use since it gets all 9 strains in chickens. When chicks get coccidiosis, they will eat and drink for awhile, then stop eating, and later will stop drinking due to the abdominal pain. Somewhere between 11 and 20 weeks most chickens will become immune to the cocci strain on their property. By the way, while you are treating with Corid, do not feed them medicated feed.

You can give liquid Corid orally as well as in the water. I give one small drop to chicks or .2ml per 2.2 pounds (20mg/kg) for larger fowl. You could do the same with the powder, but you'd have to do a little math...

The preventative dose (.006%) for Corid Powder is 1/3 teaspoon per gallon.
The preventative dose (.006%) for Corid liquid is 1/2 teaspoon per gallon.

The moderate outbreak dose (.012%) for Corid Powder is 3/4 teaspoon per gallon.
The moderate outbreak dose (.012%) for Corid liquid is 1 teaspoon per gallon.

The severe outbreak dose (.024%) for Corid Powder is 1.5 teaspoons per gallon.
The severe outbreak dose (.024%) for Corid liquid is 2 teaspoon per gallon.

FDA recommendations:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/animaldrugsatfda/details.cfm?dn=013-149
"Chickens
Indications: For the treatment of coccidiosis.
Amount: Administer at the 0.012 percent level in drinking water as soon as coccidiosis is diagnosed and continue for 3 to 5 days (in severe outbreaks, give amprolium at the 0.024 percent level); continue with 0.006 percent amprolium-medicated water for an additional 1 to 2 weeks."

And this link has these instructions:
http://www.drugs.com/vet/amprol-9-6-solution-can.html
"Poultry - as Soon As Caecal Coccidiosis Is Diagnosed, Give 0.024% Amprolium In The Drinking Water For 5 To 7 Days. Continue The Treatment With 0.006% Amprolium Medicated Water For An Additional One To Two Weeks. No Other Source Of Drinking Water Should Be Available To The Birds During This Time."


-Kathy