Marek or Coccidiosis?

[2ndTink]

It says marked parasitism in intestines, so there were worms or some kind of parasite. Unfortunately her body had decomposed where more tissue examination could not be done.

Oh, so parasite and not worms?

 

[2ndTink]

I see they say there was heavy growth of Clostridium Perfrengins, I'm not familiar with this, did a quick google search and it says it takes an antimicrobial to kill it.

@Eggcessive was the state of decomposition due to the clostridium? It sounds like a nasty bug. (Sorry, just trying to learn )

 

[Eggcessive]

I see they say there was heavy growth of Clostridium Perfrengins, I'm not familiar with this, did a quick google search and it says it takes an antimicrobial to kill it.

@Eggcessive was the state of decomposition due to the clostridium? It sounds like a nasty bug. (Sorry, just trying to learn )

Sorry, my mistake, but I only saw the one page of the report. It was hard to read sideways, but I missed one whole page. I did not see the clostridium or the eimeria species. She had both enteritis (C. perfringens ) and coccidiosis. Enteritis is treated with several antibiotics, such as amoxicillin and others. Coccidiosis is usually treated with Corid, but toltrazuril or sulfa antibiotics may be necessary if it is a more severe strain.

Yes, I would say the condition and decay might have been related to the enteritis. Here is a good article about enteritis:
https://extension.psu.edu/avian-nec...ilers.&text=The causative agent of necrotic,C.

 

[Judy4222]

I'm sorry to hear that.
What's their diet? Why are you using ammonia?

They get regular flock raiser from tractor supply along with sunflower seeds, oyster shell, mealworms and goodies I bring from the kitchen. I use ammonia because I read that it will kill the Coccidiosis germ.

 

[Judy4222]

I would try and treat for coccidiosis, if no improvement then I would assume Mareks. I would recommend sending the next bird (if any) who passes for a necropsy and PCR for Mareks to confirm if your flock is positive. If your flock is positive there's a lot of information of Mareks positive flocks online, don't lose hope.

Thank you.

 

[Eggcessive]

The state poultry lab is in Kissimmee. It won’t hurt to treat him again for coccidiosis. Corid is easy to get, but some strains may be resistant, so toltrazuril or a sulfa drug is sometimes used. Most grown chickens develop a tolerance for small amounts of coccidia in the environment when they are a few months old. There are several methods of dispatching a chicken. I would talk to the state vet lab to see if they would do it before the necropsy. Let us know if you get any updates.

 

[Judy4222]

The state poultry lab is in Kissimmee. It won’t hurt to treat him again for coccidiosis. Corid is easy to get, but some strains may be resistant, so toltrazuril or a sulfa drug is sometimes used. Most grown chickens develop a tolerance for small amounts of coccidia in the environment when they are a few months old. There are several methods of dispatching a chicken. I would talk to the state vet lab to see if they would do it before the necropsy. Let us know if you get any updates.

I have both corid and toltrazuril. What do you mean by dispatching a chicken? I did the corid already, so I'll do the toltrazuril.

Thank you everyone for all the advice. It really helps to talk to people that are familiar with chickens. Can ducks and turkeys get mareks?

 

[Judy4222]

Dispatch is to put down a chicken. It is great that you already have the toltrazuril. Let us know if his condition changes. Turkeys and ducks can get coccidiosis, but from different strains than chickens. Here is some reading about that:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/coccidiosis-in-poultry/coccidiosis-in-poultry

Thank you!

 

[Judy4222]

UPDATE: I gave hin toltrazuril for two days. He isn't eating as much, but pooping ok. I'm sure that it's mareks. I found another chicken ill this morning. I've lost approximately 35 chickens. Mostly young (under 6 months). The Easter egger that is sick is about two years old. This all started when I bought six babies from a local farmer to put under a broody turkey. All I have to say is be very careful when getting new birds. I trusted this farmer. My birds are my pets, not livestock. It's so heartbreaking. This has been going on now for almost a year.

 

[Judy4222]

It is incredibly heartbreaking to go through loss like that.

I can't recommend getting a necropsy enough, to be bold here, you absolutely must do a necropsy to verify what is happening to your flock. If it is Mareks, then read up on that, only get vaccinated birds, keep everything as clean as possible and you can likely continue to have a healthy flock to enjoy. Just be aware of how you can spread Mareks via your clothing and shoes as you go to feed stores etc. If it isn't Mareks, the necropsy will tell you what it is, and same, whatever the diagnosis is, research, treat / prepare / plan, knowing what is happening will help you know the path you need to take.

As for how he has hung on longer than the others, it is likely either genetics or he has a strong immune system.

Please keep us posted, I'll follow this thread and be sending you support from afar.

A few questions, how old were the chicks you got from the farmer, were they incubator hatched or broody raised? How long ago was this, and how long after getting the chicks did you start to have issues in the flock?

I will get a necropsy done with the next one which should be soon.

The babies were about four days old from an incubator. I got them about a year ago. This farmer raises all kind of birds. I started having issues approximately five months ago.