Post Coccidiosis Diarrhea

[MaryOos]

I got all 20 of my chicks (hatched May 18) through cocci and a 7 day course of Corid. I am still seeing a lot of healthy firm green and white poo but still see some runny peanut butter colored diarrhea. I have also seen an otherwise healthy poo with just a spot of blood on it maybe once a day. But I have 20 chicks in a 4x9 brooder with wood shavings over paper towel so is hard to know how many I am missing. But early on the brooder was a terrible stinking blood bath so we have come a long way.

Their main diet is Graham's organic chick starter in the chick feeders. In the morning I serve them some egg mash made with 1 egg, some ground oats, and the main ingredient is their chick starter for breakfast each morning. That's only 1 egg and about 2T of oats between 20 chicks. In afternoon I hang a flock block for young chicks to break up the boredom and in evening they get some mash made mostly of their regular feed but with some manna pro organic chick crumbles added. I started with the daily mash feedings while they were sick and it was a great way to keep them eating and get the Corid into them.
But they LOVE the mash and go wild when they see me coming with a pie plate for them so I have continued making mash with plain water minus the corid.

I took a sampling of several runny poo to the vet yesterday and they say there is no sign of parasites.

I know I have read here that 1 in 10 runny smelly poops is normal. I have also read that it is normal to see some blood in healthy stool due to chickens shedding intestinal lining?
So am I being an over worrisome flock momma? Or are they getting too much water in the diet with their mash? Maybe give up the evening mash and only serve mash once a day? But I do still have a couple of chicks that feel rather thin from the bout of cocci and want them eating and weight back on before it's time to move outdoors.

I have also read that after a 7 day course of Corid that you could go off for 3 days and then back on for 3 days just be certain? Any advice would be greatly appreciated please. I love these fluffy feather little guys and want to be sure I am doing the best I can for them.

Thanks, Mary

 

[enola]

They would probably benefit from some chicken probiotics.

 

[MaryOos]

Thanks a bunch. I went to TSC to get some for when the Corid treatment was done and the shelf of save-a-chick was empty. I ordered some from amazon and received this afternoon. I am over due re-homing 1/2 the flock. Should I wait a couple days and run another 3 day course of corid just to be certain they don't spread cocci to any other flocks? Or should a couple days of probiotics be good enough before re-homing? My brooder is getting smaller by the day.

 

[enola]

Is SaveAChick probiotics or electrolytes?

I would not regime them until they are healthy.

 

[MaryOos]

it is just the probiotics. I do have electrolytes leftover, on hand, but did not plan to use.

The birds are eating and drinking well. Just a couple are a bit thin. I worried about rehoming those. The last thing they need is more stress of a move and a new home.

Probably should keep them all another week. I also worry about over crowding in the brooder though and the bigger they get the more crowded they are. Oy!

I also worry about splitting them up from each other the longer they are together. The dominiques really seem bonded. They snuggle in a group to sleep every night. I had to keep one out of the brooder last night. She decided to try her flying skills and had an epic fail. I thought I would lose her in the night. She was breathing but mostly unresponsive. She lay in my hand for 3 hrs last night until I started falling asleep and had to place her in a box of bedding for the night. Set one end of the box on a heating pad for warmth beside my bed and checked on her and the temp in the box hourly through the night. When I woke in the morning, before looking in the box, I said peep peep peep and I heard a peeping reply from the box. I peeked in and she was looking up at me. Still in the exact spot I set her in. I got up and placed her in a large plastic tub in the kitchen, with food and water, as I started mixing egg mash for the rest of the flock. Slowly she stood and stretched her legs and wings and then began eating and drinking. Then she flew up onto the rim of the box and talked to me while I finished mixing the mash. I didn't want to keep her from the flock a minute longer than need be so I brought her and the mash out. Put the mash in one end of the brooder to distract the flock and set my baby in the other end. Just the dominiques left the mash plate to come and gently welcome her back to the brooder and then they all joined in the egg mash party. I prayed all night nothing was broken or internally damaged and that she was just bruised and in a little shock. So stressful as she is my favorites. But so rewarding when I was certain she wouldn't make it through the night.

 

[MaryOos]

A dear facebook friend who has been raising chickens for years came out and checked my chicken poo for me today. She gave 2 thumbs up and an all clear to the stools and the birds. Hooray!!!!! And what I perceive as skinny birds with weight loss she perceives as chicks going through the uglies and natural change. All is well again with the newbie chicks.