2 week old chick with Worms? Please help

SCOUT123

Songster
5 Years
Apr 25, 2014
219
6
111
San Jose, CA
Hello there,
I have two 2 week old chicks. They're acting all normal and stuff :DD - but one of them has started shedding intestinal lining (is this normal for 2 week old chicks?)
Today, I found something that looked like worms in their poop. They weren't moving, and when I poked at them with a rock, they just kinda disappeared. Didn't really SEEM like worms, just the appearance resembled that of a worm's. Judging by my horrible description, does it seem like it's intestinal lining, worms, or cocci? (hoping it's just intestinal lining lol)


Thanks!!
 
At this age what is most likely is coccidiosis and I would treat with Corid asap. At two weeks old they simply haven't been alive long enough to develop a load of parasites. Shed intestinal lining is something you really won't see a lot of. I've had chickens for years and I very, very rarely see it.
 
At this age what is most likely is coccidiosis and I would treat with Corid asap. At two weeks old they simply haven't been alive long enough to develop a load of parasites. Shed intestinal lining is something you really won't see a lot of. I've had chickens for years and I very, very rarely see it.
They don't have the cocci "look" tho
they're really active and happy kinda like that -->
wee.gif
 
Chicks poops can resemble worms, but if your are seeing orangy-red poops, while intestinal shed would explain one dropping, more than that, and I would go get some Corid in the morning ASAP. Chicks can act normal for a day or two before they get very ill with coccidiosis. Corid treatment will not hurt them, even if it's not cocci. But 2 week olds just don't have worms yet.
 
Chicks poops can resemble worms, but if your are seeing orangy-red poops, while intestinal shed would explain one dropping, more than that, and I would go get some Corid in the morning ASAP. Chicks can act normal for a day or two before they get very ill with coccidiosis. Corid treatment will not hurt them, even if it's not cocci. But 2 week olds just don't have worms yet.
Yea I'm seeing orangish reddish poops sometimes. I know who it's coming from, and she's not pooping them every time; it's more like one orangish poop for every 2/3 poops. But how would she get coccidiosis? They've never gone outside before, nor have they gotten in contact with dirt...
 
Yea I'm seeing orangish reddish poops sometimes. I know who it's coming from, and she's not pooping them every time; it's more like one orangish poop for every 2/3 poops. But how would she get coccidiosis? They've never gone outside before, nor have they gotten in contact with dirt...

The coccidi protozoa is a microscopic little thing and it's very easily spread around in many ways, they don't have to get out on the dirt to get it. I've had chicks in the brooder, never been out, that popped up with coccidiosis. It's just one of those things that if you even suspect a chick might be brewing a case you are far better off to just run a course of Corid rather then wait to see if symptoms get worse. If that's what this is and you wait until it gets worse you may not save the chick. Once they have a certain level of damage from the cocci there's just no saving them. Then you can at least rule it out and move on from there if you have to.
 
IMHO, it is also very unlikely for chicks in a brooder to have coccidiosis at 2 weeks unless the bedding were wet and there was some contamination source.
Where would the original oocysts come from if the chicks came out of eggs and put into a dry brooder of paper towels or dry shavings?
Coccidia don't come out of the air, they are in the ground.
 
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