Cornish Cross are acting off

[rascal66]

I have a batch of 60 Cornish cross chicks that are now about 1 month old. I just got them moved from the barn to outside. They are sharing a "chicken tractor" with other regular chicks of a similar age or older. (Some of the other chicks were also raised alongside these Cornish and just got outside with them.)

Here is my problem: about 10 or 15 of them are acting completely off. I have no idea what is going on with this small batch. Here are the symptoms-

-Sleeping all day
-Loss of Appetite
-Wobbly, some are unable to stand without stumbling
-some seem to have their wing muscles very tensed
-pinkish muddy poop
-some have a pale comb
-listless behavior, some of just sprawled out
-some toes are curled, loss of toe movement(?)

Overall these symptoms largely look neurological at a glance in person. But I haven't the slightest clue what's going on with them.

I had treated them with Corid a few weeks ago, a small amount as a preventative for 2 weeks. No signs of blood in their poop. I don't have an issue with treating for coccidia again, but I don't believe that is the issue here...(Unless I'm wrong. In fact, i hope it is coccidia so I can begin treatment.)

The only other details I can add, is that it has been very hot outside for the past several days. Some of the crops are either empty or have some water inside them. I have personally never seen this before in the years that I've raised them out. And why is it only them and not the other chicks? The Cornish seem to be the only ones affected currently.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I'll share a picture of one of their poops.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Poop looks like a Coccidiosis poop. You could have a more resistant strain of the parasite which will require a different treatment.

 

[rascal66]

Poop looks like a Coccidiosis poop. You could have a more resistant strain of the parasite which will require a different treatment.

I'll see what else I can do for coccidia, but what about the neurological issues?

 

[MysteryChicken]

I'll see what else I can do for coccidia, but what about the neurological issues?

Could be due to lack of nutrient absorption in the gut.


@Eggcessive
Any suggestions for a drug to treat Coccidiosis, besides Corid?

 

[Eggcessive]

Are you feeding a balanced chicken starter grower? Is there any chance that you could get a fecal float from a vet on some fresh droppings in the morning? They can tell you if it is coccidiosis. It may be that you need to give a stronger dosage of Corid, since you gave the preventative dose. Two tsp of the liquid, or 1.5 tsp of the powder per gallon of water for 5-7 days is the dosage for an outbreak. Sulfa antibiotics (Albon or sulfadimethoxine) from a vet can treat if there is a resistant form of coccidiosis.

 

[rascal66]

Ahh, I'm an idiot. Everything really does point to coccidia. I hope I can manage to treat them and save most of them...
Here is to hoping the investment doesn't go down the drain!

 

[rascal66]

Are you feeding a balanced chicken starter grower? Is there any chance that you could get a fecal float from a vet on some fresh droppings in the morning? They can tell you if it is coccidiosis. It may be that you need to give a stronger dosage of Corid, since you gave the preventative dose. Two tsp of the liquid, or 1.5 tsp of the powder per gallon of water for 5-7 days is the dosage for an outbreak. Sulfa antibiotics (Albon or sulfadimethoxine) from a vet can treat if there is a resistant form of coccidiosis.

Thank you for this!

I went ahead and treated their water with the severe outbreak dosage. I'm hoping I can save them In time... I should have known better. I'm not new to coccidia, I just thought I was two steps ahead this time. (Also the other odd symptoms threw me off) ((on a 2nd note, I've been managing this system pretty well for several cycles of Cornish already. But I'm sure the heat along with the heavy droppings/moisture didn't help at all.))

I know I struggle with coccidia in the barn stalls, so I've been successfully able to control it with a 2 week preventative dosage of Corid when the chicks are about 2 weeks old. It's been working great until today, I suppose! I wish I payed closer attention.