URGENT: Please help! My new chickens are sick!

[kennabug987]

3 days ago, I acquired 3 Ameraucaunas from a backyard breeder (whom I have never used before) 2 pullets and 1 roo. They are 3-5 weeks of age. I noticed that their droppings were very smelly when I first got them. After a day of having them, symptoms began. I came to feed them in the morning and there was bloody diarrhea in multiple places in the crate I have them in the garage. I have noticed them huddling as if they are cold (which they are way too old for a heat lamp and were not using one when I got them), but I decided to give them some heat. Now, they stay directly under the lamp most of the time. I have also noticed today their tail feathers are dirty with poo. I picked them up today to clean their coop/crate area (I have limited contact so I do not stress them more) and they seem very bony, especially the white pulIet. I added Amprollium to their drinking water, electrolytes, and probiotics. I have them on a medicated feed as well. I suspect coccidiosis, but I am not sure. I have not seen bloody droppings in 1 day. The white pullet is doing the worst. She constantly chirps and has her feathers puffed out with her eyes closed. All birds look anemic and pale in the face. Today, I added dewormer to their food and was able to get some Albon tablets (Sulfadimethoxine) that I crushed and put in their water as well. I am an animal lover and truly hate to see the little white pullet suffer so much. What are your thoughts? Coccidiosis, investinal worms, mites, salmonella? I am new to owning chickens. All birds are still eating and drinking.

On another note, the lady I got them from had very poor living conditions for her chicks and breeding chickens. The smell of ammonia slapped me in the face when I arrived. To be honest, when I saw the state of her facilities, I should have turned around and walked away. She first handed me a small Maran who had been picked on by older chicks and its whole hind end was plucked of feathers and scabby! She had chicks of every kind, small and large in a small pen together (I would say at least 60). Is this something I should report to animal services? I alerted the lady of the symptoms the birds are having and she never responded.

Here are before and after pictures of the day I got them vs 1-2 days later.

 

[DobieLover]

They have coccidiosis.
Start them on Corid ASAP. I would drench all of them with 1/4 tsp undiluted Corid daily in addition to the Corid water as their only source of drinking water. The directions for dilution are on the bottle. Follow the instructions for a severe outbreak.

 

[Swbertrand1]

I'd ask for a refund, and YES, if it were me, I'd definitely call animal control and the ASPCA to investigate the poor living conditions of the rest of the birds. The cycle of suffering continues if you don't.
It makes me so sad and so angry how poorly some folks treat animals, ANY animal! We treat our chickens, cats, parrot, and fish better than we treat ourselves because we are all they've got. We are their protectors and their providers, and we MUST take the best care of them we can.

 

[dgrubbs44]

3 days ago, I acquired 3 Ameraucaunas from a backyard breeder (whom I have never used before) 2 pullets and 1 roo. They are 3-5 weeks of age. I noticed that their droppings were very smelly when I first got them. After a day of having them, symptoms began. I came to feed them in the morning and there was bloody diarrhea in multiple places in the crate I have them in the garage. I have noticed them huddling as if they are cold (which they are way too old for a heat lamp and were not using one when I got them), but I decided to give them some heat. Now, they stay directly under the lamp most of the time. I have also noticed today their tail feathers are dirty with poo. I picked them up today to clean their coop/crate area (I have limited contact so I do not stress them more) and they seem very bony, especially the white pulIet. I added Amprollium to their drinking water, electrolytes, and probiotics. I have them on a medicated feed as well. I suspect coccidiosis, but I am not sure. I have not seen bloody droppings in 1 day. The white pullet is doing the worst. She constantly chirps and has her feathers puffed out with her eyes closed. All birds look anemic and pale in the face. Today, I added dewormer to their food and was able to get some Albon tablets (Sulfadimethoxine) that I crushed and put in their water as well. I am an animal lover and truly hate to see the little white pullet suffer so much. What are your thoughts? Coccidiosis, investinal worms, mites, salmonella? I am new to owning chickens. All birds are still eating and drinking.

On another note, the lady I got them from had very poor living conditions for her chicks and breeding chickens. The smell of ammonia slapped me in the face when I arrived. To be honest, when I saw the state of her facilities, I should have turned around and walked away. She first handed me a small Maran who had been picked on by older chicks and its whole hind end was plucked of feathers and scabby! She had chicks of every kind, small and large in a small pen together (I would say at least 60). Is this something I should report to animal services? I alerted the lady of the symptoms the birds are having and she never responded.

Here are before and after pictures of the day I got them vs 1-2 days later.

How are your chickens doing?
I just went through this and am thankfully on the other side of it. Mine had closed eyes, were sitting in poop, heads tucked down to chest, just miserable. One had sour crop on top of it and kept "spitting up" a liquid that I assumed was water that wouldn't go down (?)

Per a vet's instructions, I gave them 0.1 mg (1/10 of 1 mg to be clear) Corid for 5 days directly into their beaks, then reduced it to 0.05 mg/day for several days afterwards and added the "preventative dose" to their only water source as well, but only during the 0.05 mg dose period. Today we are through it and I'm on BYC looking for vitamin/electrolyte/probiotic advice.

My chickens took a couple of days to show signs they were better, but after 2-3 days they were on the upswing. It was stressful!

I hope yours made it through and are better!

 

[kennabug987]

@dgrubbs44 I am glad you commented! I was just about to post an update. Everyone is doing SO much better! Even our little white Ameraucaua pullet, Blondie. Before making the post, I added Corid to their water along with medicated feed, but after 3 days I wasn't seeing much progress. The roo, Cluck Norris, recovered quickly with the addition of Corid. However, Black Betty and Blondie were a bit more sickly. I searched and searched on BYC and decided to add an antibiotic to their treatment plan. I was able to find Albon (Sulfadimethoxine) at a local feed store, and I saw major improvement with Black Betty and Blondie.

The whole time they have been sick I have added Chicken e-lixir (prebiotics, Vitamin D and E, and electrolytes), Save-a-chick probiotic , and Backyard Chicken Zyfend (all natural digestive health support) to the gallon of water they drink from. I included some pics here of the products. It has really helped keep them hydrated and restore some natural gut flora. My vet recommended that I go ahead and add some dewormer to their regimen as well, so I mixed a little bit of SafeGuard crushed food into their medicated chick feed. Eventually, I will need to supplement them with some Thiamine (vitamin B1), but I will wait till maybe the end of next week or so because it will render the Corid ineffective. Fresh Eggs Daily has a probiotic that I will switch them to that contains Thiamine. I use some of their other products and they are fantastic. I am using Save-a-chick probiotic right now because it does not contain Thiamine.

The whole process has been so stressful! I totally agree! I was so happy to walk into the garage where I keep them this afternoon to find them all dust bathing together. They are finally starting to act like young chicks again. I am happy to hear your chicks are on the upside of things now too!

 

[Swbertrand1]

I'd still ask for a refund AND have a chat with Animal Control and the ASPCA. If you don't do it, who will?
The rest of her chickens continue to suffer the same as yours did before you got them and took them out of their horrid living conditions...

PS: I'm SO VERY GLAD to hear that yours are doing better!

 

[kennabug987]

I'd still ask for a refund AND have a chat with Animal Control and the ASPCA. If you don't do it, who will?
The rest of her chickens continue to suffer the same as yours did before you got them and took them out of their horrid living conditions...

PS: I'm SO VERY GLAD to hear that yours are doing better!

The person I got them from has been reported. Rest assured I wouldn't let anymore little chicks get as sick as the ones I got from her. It was heartbreaking! She will reap what she sow and hopefully the living conditions of the rest of her chickens will be dealt with accordingly. Thanks for checking in!

 

[katelwil]

So glad you were able to get these poor chicks feeling better looks like they ended up in a great, loving home.

 

[Swbertrand1]

Glad to hear that! Folks that treat animals that way shouldn't be allowed to keep them.