2 sick 14 week old chickens

[Hills0816]

Hello we are new to BYC! We have seventeen 14 week old chickens. 5 brown rose comb leghorn, 5 buff Minorca, 5 black australorps, and 2 buff orpingtons! We love them and they are so much fun! We save them in a chicken tractor right now and let them out daily while we drink our coffee and watch them and dream of the life we have started! Not sure if we have a roo some seem to be but not sure. But I do have a concern. Today 2 started acting lethargic. They seem very sleepy and tails seem ragged. I'm not sure how the poo looks I haven't been able to see them but I did see there is poo in the pin with orange in it. We just switched to bigger feeder and waterer. The 2 that seen lethargic are a leghorn and a Minorca. They are not to interested in really hanging with the others. I don't think they have ever been vaccinated unless they do it when you order them usually. Please let me know more questions I should answer. Thanks so much love this place! I finally joined!

 

[BantamLover21]

My first thought is that they have Coccidiosis, which is a protozoan infection of the digestive tract that is common in young birds. Strangely colored droppings and lethargy are classic signs of it. In case it is Coccidiosis, I would start them on Corid liquid or powder in their water right away. You can usually purchase Corid from a livestock supply store, since it is sold for cattle and other large animals. If you can't find Corid, you can use a sulfa drug like Sulmet. In a pinch, you can also give your birds buttermilk or yogurt until you can get the right medication, because those foods coat the intestinal wall and help prevent further coccidia damage.

If it isn't Coccidiosis, there are a few other possibilities. Do they show any other symptoms, like swelling, sneezing, nasal discharge, limping, or emaciationi? I'd also check them all for external parasites: look beneath the feathers near their vent and neck for small moving black or yellow specks. If you see any, they have mites/lice, and should be treated with a mite/lice spray or dust.

 

[Eggcessive]

Coccidiosis may be a problem. Especially if they are not eating, and are having diarrhea or any blood in stools. Corid (amprollium) is the treatment, and will not harm them even it that is not the problem, but it is common at that age, and it can kill or do a lot of damage to the intestines. dosage is 2 tsp of liquid Corid per gallon of water for 5-7 days, and treat all birds with this only source of water. If they aren't drinking, you may need to give some orally with a dropper.

 

[Hills0816]

I haven't seen any other signs. They are super flighty the other breeds aren't flighty but they are. Dust would be DE? They just started showing signs today. I have them electrolyte water. And I will give them butter milk. Can it spread through the flock? If so how is the best to prevent them from getting

 

[jkpoultry]

Hi! I just had a round of coccidiosis in some chicks also. It can be very bad! I separated the sick from the healthy also...(besides medication) Keep the cage VERY CLEAN with the sick and the healthy. This will help to stop it from spreading. Good Luck!

 

[Hills0816]

Okay I have my chicken separated just two of them I gave them some buttermilk but they didn't take any. I did feel their chest and it feels very hard and bumpy I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad. I gave them some banana and they pecked a little but stopped. I stepped out for a bit and came back to very runny diarrhea not sure which chicken it was but had sort of a green color .They are just staring. They still ran a lot while I tried to catch them. I appreciate so much everyone's help thank you so much!

 

[Hills0816]

No other symptoms can I see like limping, running noses, sneezing, nothing

 

[cafarmgirl]

Do not wait for them to get worse or for more chickens to get sick. Get some Corid and start treating them all asap. At their age and with their symptoms coccidiosis is highly suspect. It is easily corrected IF treatment is started early. It moves fast though so the longer you wait to start treatment the less chance of saving them. The cocci protozoa damages the intestinal lining, once there is a certain level of damage there is just no saving them. Treat them all, not just the ones showing symptoms, that way you get it under control all at once rather then trying to treat multiple sick birds at different times.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do not wait for them to get worse or for more chickens to get sick. Get some Corid and start treating them all asap. At their age and with their symptoms coccidiosis is highly suspect. It is easily corrected IF treatment is started early. It moves fast though so the longer you wait to start treatment the less chance of saving them. The cocci protozoa damages the intestinal lining, once there is a certain level of damage there is just no saving them. Treat them all, not just the ones showing symptoms, that way you get it under control all at once rather then trying to treat multiple sick birds at different times.

X2. Any farm store or TSC should have either the liquid or powder, or another medicine such as Sulmet. Since they are lethargic that is the biggest warning sign. You might worm them later, but treat for cocci first.

 

[Hills0816]

I talked to the place we got the chicks for and she said to get medicated chick feed so I got medicated chick feed for them. We also have them electrolyte water and buttermilk. So you think the feed is enough. The lady insisted it was.