5 week old--blood when deficating?

[chicky78]

Hi!
I recently obtained 5 beautiful baby chicks and they have all been doing very well. I have had them for 3 1/2 weeks (they're 5 1/2 weeks now). However, today I noticed my Dominecker chick had a bowel movement that was very runny (but it looked more like pee...which I suppose is possible since they do both simultaneously?). After she did her business there was just a little blood that came out & it looked almost stringy (it was not actually in the stool). But she's been acting normal & doesn't look sick. What could cause this? Do she and the other chicks need antibiotics, or is it just bowel irritation?

Thank You!

 

[esthermgr]

I'm no expert, but I've heard people talk about worms that sounded very similar to this. You might look at some discussions about worms in chicks and compare notes.

Bloody poo can be a symptom of coccidiosis also, but the fact that the "stringy" blood came out after the poo and the lack of other immediate symptoms makes me think maybe it was a worm that you saw.

 

[bock]

EWY!!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Most likely it's coccidiosis. That is the usual age for it. You'll need to get Corid or Sulmet (Corid is preferred and easier on the intestines). They can die from this if left untreated. It's a protozoan they get in the soil usually--have they touched ground yet?
They do not need antibiotics. Corid is concentrated amprolium. It comes in a liquid and I've seen it as a granulated powder called Cocci-Rid, too. You can usually find those at actual feed stores, but rarely Tractor Supply; at least, I've never found anything like that at the ones near me.

 

[Gonzo]

Quote:

I know Rural King has it its called Corid there.... Good Luck!

 

[Kittymomma]

It could certainly be cocci given the age of the chicks, but you said it was stringy which makes me wonder if it could just be a bit of intestinal lining shedding off...

Take a look at this link and see if anything looks familiar. http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

In either case I would get some corid to have on hand. It's great stuff and while cocci can kill quickly it responds very well to treatment so if you have the meds on hand and start treatment right away you're not likely to lose any chicks.

 

[jason736]

The site kitty momma posted is good. It's a good reference. I also use Corid.

 

[speckledhen]

Kittymomma is right that sometimes, there is a bit of intestinal material that sheds. The reason I said cocci is really the age of the chick as much as anything. It won't hurt to do a 5 day round of Corid, though, just to be sure. Cocci can kill when left untreated and they can get it even when on medicated feed. You can also give plain, unsweetened, active culture yogurt daily for awhile. It seems to help soothe the intestines and old time remedy for cocci is milk. Some add nonfat powdered milk to the starter crumble.

 

[Kittymomma]

How's the chick doing this morning?

 

[chicky78]

She's doing just fine today, thank you for asking

I saw her "go" earlier and it was just normal poo, nothing strange about it--no blood in it or after...maybe it was indeed just intestinal lining? The other chicks seem just fine as well. But I may go to the feed store and purchase some medication...just to have in case. The web page with all the different photos was very helpful, thank you so much! I am also wondering, should I go ahead and treat them as a precaution, or is it best to wait until something actually comes up so they don't build an immunity to the medication?