Dead 4 week old Cornish Rock Cross Cockerel + mucousy, reddish poop = cause or coincidence??

[lhousesoccer]

Hey everyone: this is my first year with meat birds. I ordered 12 Cornish Rock X's and they arrived May 5th. Today, I went out this morning to feed and water them, and one was lying dead in the pine shavings in the bottom of the coop. It looked normal - no injuries or anything that I could see that might be a cause.

The only strange thing I noticed was thta there were blobs of mucous (very gross looking) in the shavings. It kind of looked like poop but sort of clear, but tinged reddish. Very disgusting. Is there something going on with my chickens I should be worried about? I just switched them over from the Blue Seal Chicken Starter mash (20% protein) to a Blue Seal Chick and Game Bird Grower crumbled (22% protein). I can't imagine that being the cause but you never know.

Any ideas? Should I be worried? And oh yeah, the bedding smells! But I've read in other threads that this is normal with this birds.

 

[Cheeky Chick]

Sounds like coccidiosis. I'm not sure what to do with meat birds, I know with layers, I used Sulmet for 3 days and had no further problems. With layers you have to dispose of eggs for 2 weeks after dosing.

Good luck-bloody poop is never what you want to see in a coop!

 

[Oregon Blues]

Any time I see blood in the poop, my first thought is coxidiosis. If that is what it is, you will lose birds fast.

I'd put them on coxcidiosis treatment immediately. They are just a month old, so you have time to treat them and get them through the withdrawal period before butchering.

After the course of treatment is over, add a big spoonful of plain yogurt to their water every day. That will help with intestinal health.

 

[lhousesoccer]

Another dead one today. That's 2 in 2 days. I only have 8 birds left. A few more bloody mucousy splotches of runny poop on the litter today too. The birds left aren't too ambitious and are just laying around. But I've heard that's normal with these lazy meat birds. But since this is my first time ever trying to raise meat birds, I don't know what's normal and what's not.

If it is coccidiosis, out of curiosity, where does it start from? How do they get it? I've raised egg layers for 3 years in this same pen and I've never lost a chicken.

 

[Cheeky Chick]

All chickens carry cocci. It's when there are some damp conditions in their pen that the cocci can hatch and cause problems. If I were you I'd treat them really quickly. Once they start bleeding, they die fairly quickly.

I used Sulmet, after I lost 2 chicks and the last remaining chick in the pen, who had shown bloody poop is alive and well, and thriving.

Sulmet is easy to find, at most feed stores.

 

[PotterWatch]

It could be cocci but it could also be normal shedding of the intestinal lining that happens with all chickens every once in a while. Check out this link for more info on the different ways chicken poop can look but still be normal. [=http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0][/]

 

[Cheeky Chick]

It could be cocci but it could also be normal shedding of the intestinal lining that happens with all chickens every once in a while. Check out this link for more info on the different ways chicken poop can look but still be normal. [=http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0][/]

I agree, normally. But he's lost 2 chickens so far. I'd treat them to make sure the rest may survive. The Tx can't hurt them.

 

[chicken6465]

Most definatly get them on some antibiotics for cocci. Im not a big fan of antibiotics but in the cornish x you got to do what you gotta do to keep them alive, you will see a differance very quick. And like the other poster said get them some yogart, I prefer some Probiotics from your local health food store or feed store( it has a lot more good bacteria than yogart)And for the future get them on some probiotics from the start I have noticed a big differance in my chicks since I started Probiotics.

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

I would definitely check out the link that PotterWatch provided. It would help to know if it is indeed blood or intestinal lining. Make sure so that you're not treating for cocci when you actually may have another problem. Just sayin'. Good luck with your remaining birds!!