3 week old chicks with bloody poop, please help before it spreads!

[tothemoon]

I have 15 standard size 3 week old chicks, one died yesterday after looking very lethargic the day before. I havent seen anymore looking lethargic but I did spot some bloody poop in th pen today. I bought some Corid and some nutritional supplement. Ive been told to add 1 tsp per gallon of water of the Corid. I have a few questions......should I also add the supplement to the water at the same time as the corid? Can adult birds catch this from them and should i add the Corid to their water as well even though they show no signs of infection? (The adult bantam birds are in a pen in the same barn as the chicks.) Also, if I got chicks from a private breeder that was feeding medicated food to prevent or vaccinate for Cocci and then put them with my chicks which were not taking the same food.....could my chicks have caught it from the new ones? I ask this because when you vaccinate for something, that desease is usually live in the stool and when someone comes in contact with the infected stool they can catch the desease if they havent been vaccinated. I am not sure if this is the same for chickens or not but would love the info.

 

[Southernbelle]

Cocci is very contaigous, so your chicks are at risk too. Adult birds have generally built up an immunity, so it's not as dangerous to them.

I'd give Corid and just Corid in the water to all the chicks. After the Corid treatment, then give the vitamin supplement for a few days.

A private breeder vaccinating for Cocci would be rare, but yes, it's a live vaccine and they'd shed it in their poop. If they've been in contact with the chicks that have Cocci, I'd give them Corid, too or switch to medicated feed.

 

[tothemoon]

Thanks for the education.............wish I had done more research before adding the new chicks though. Bummer. I have added the corid, so how long (how many days?) do I let them drink that water before changing it and adding the supplement?

 

[Toast n Jelly]

6 ml corid in 1 litre of water for 7 days.
1.5 ml of corid in 1 litre of water for 2 weeks.

Crossing fingers that you lose no more

 

[tothemoon]

Well, I have added the corid and nutritional supplement to thier water, for the past 3 days. I added 4.5 ml per gallon as per the instructions from several people on here but then Toast'n Jelly says 6 ml per litre which is a vast difference but I have 2 more babies who are just sitting down with thier feathers fluffed and not moving much so im wondering if I should up the dose. I dont see anymore bloody runny poo, and most of the other chicks act normal, but I only had 1 acting this way this morning and now there are 2. One of my other full grown bantam cochins also had bloody runny poo and now they seem fine since the corid. So could it be something else that is wrong with them? Or was I just to late with the corid for the little guys? How long does it take for babies to die of cocci and how long before they should be acting better? Please someone help, im so sad over all this, I just feel helpless.....

 

[Toast n Jelly]

I re-checked my instructions and they come out the same as what I told you. I advised a breeder to give the same amount as he was losing chicks to cocci. He doses the water for all his chicks and has had no losses since. I used it on pullets that were dying and managed to save their siblings at the time. Corid is a thamine blocker which is what cocci feed on. Your dosage is too low and not inhibiting the thiamine perhaps. You may still lose a few but the rest should be saved. Other than that I'd have to say take a sample to a vet and find out for sure if it is cocci.

I would not add anything else to their water until treatment is over.

 

[tothemoon]

"I would not add anything else to their water until treatment is over."

What exactly does this mean? Not to add the supplement or not to add a stronger dose of corid? Sorry, it just confused me...........thanks so much for the help.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote:
Sorry for the confusion. Do not add any supplements while dosing is what I meant

.

 

[tothemoon]

Thanks for clearing that up, ill go change the water in all the pens and follow your dosing directions first thing in the morning. Thanks so much!

 

[Toast n Jelly]

I should add that those instructions were given to me by a vet and that's what I have to go on so I hope that it's correct. Sorry that you got so few responses.