7 wk Freedom Ranger listless, yellow poo, just finished Corid treatment

[BlueSkyK]

I have 25 Freedom Rangers in mobile pasture pen, 7 weeks old. Found one not moving much this evening, pulled her out started giving electrolytes and using eyedropper to offer water which she drinks. When I lifted her to see if she could stand, out this came:



THE COLOR IS ACTUALLY A PALE YELLOW, using a flash makes it look white.

All birds just finished a 5 day course of Corid yesterday because I thought they might have cocci but all the poop was looking really good.

Then this one sick bird. Besides offering electrolytes, anything else I should do? Examination doesn't reveal any injury, she just looks unkempt.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Kate

 

[mountaingirl196]

Hi, Kate, I'm going through it, too, and have been flailing. 100 Freedom Rangers on pasture in this first batch, and I think I've lost about 15 to coccidiosis at this point.

I got mine through the first round of Corid, and only lost three. All seemed healthy after that.

According to everything I've read, you're supposed to give them another run with Corid two weeks later, to kill the parasites that hatched from eggs left inside the chickens. Which I did...

Unfortunately, after completing the second round, I started seeing more sick chickens and lost several.

Based on things I've read here on BYC and elsewhere, I've modified my approach, and this seems to give them a fighting chance. I isolate the sick ones and have them under a heat lamp. Each is getting straight Corid in an eyedropper in the morning (one drop per 100 grams weight, weigh your chickens.) I'm putting a little more than they're supposed to get into the syringe, as I'm not shooting it straight into their beaks in order to avoid sending it down their trachea and giving them Corid pneumonia. It's a bit messy and some of it ends up not in the chicken. Their water is spiked with electrolytes and Bragg's ACV.

If they're too far gone there's not much hope, but if you start treatment at the first scintilla of symptom, it seems to be effective. The ones I have in my infirmary now seem like they're going to make it, as they've started eating again. It still hurts them to pick them up and give them the Corid, I wrap them in a towel to keep them secure during the procedure.

They are extremely weak and vulnerable right now, I had one literally scared to death when I was taking her from pasture with a goal of getting her back to the house and the infirmary. A neighbor's dog ran up to say hi, and she died in my arms. My neighbor felt awful, as did I. That one didn't seem that sick, I was hopeful of being able to pull her through.

I've gone several days without seeing more sick chickens, and am hopeful the survivors have finally developed enough immunity to pull through. Knock wood.

 

[BlueSkyK]

Hi – And thanks so much for responding! How old are your freedom Rangers?

I lost that bird I wrote about yesterday, but your post contains some great information to give me ideas about treating should this show up again. She absolutely could not stand and seem to be in a lot of pain when I picked her up.

Last year I raised about 15 Cornish Cross on the pasture and didn't have a single problem except for raccoons !

The remaining 24 look healthy at this point and we're keeping things clean -we move the mobile pen daily and clean the water tank every day. I only treated with Corid for five days and have since read that another week at a preventative dose seems to be a common practice so based on your story I think I'll do that ....

Again thanks for your response- I wish you the best!

Kate

 

[mountaingirl196]

Sorry to hear about your bird, and good luck with the second round.

My oldest ones got here the week of 15 April. This is the batch that got sick. I've run another three hundred through my brooder room without issues so hopefully have it contained.

Both of the cocci chickens in the infirmary (my tack room, I have chickens everywhere it seems) are no longer standing hunched and are eating normally. Haven't had any more sick ones on the field. I'm going to keep them isolated for the rest of their days, if all seems well in another day or two I'll put them back out on pasture in an infirmary coop with a couple of injured ones. I won't run anything else over the part of the pasture this first batch is on until next year, that should give the parasites in the poop time to die.

FWIW, I'd never raise Cornish after raising Freedom Rangers. These are just better birds on pasture. You can really see (and smell) the difference when processing, too, Cornish just don't get the body fat that Freedom Rangers do. Fat=flavor. And Cornish flat-out stink when you process them. Have no idea why they smell differently, but they do.

 

[Eggcessive]

What dosage are you giving with the Corid? Corid should be followed by vitamins and probiotics afterward. A vet could examine a few fresh droppings for cocci and worms.

 

[mountaingirl196]

9.5 cc/gallon of water, made up fresh daily. One drop per 100g of body weight.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is supposed to be given in their water free choice, and if they are not drinking normally, then you would need to give it with a dropper or syringe.

 

[mountaingirl196]

I'm sure that's true, at least how it's designed. I read here on BYC where the eye dropper method augmented with enhanced water was recommended by one of the regulars, and since I still had dying chickens after two courses of Corid the recommended way I tried it. It wasn't like they were going to live otherwise, and I was desperate (I started a thread about it with no response). So far, of the four I've given this treatment, three are not only alive but now appear healthy. The fourth was too weak when I started this routine, and was past helping.

So, take it with a grain of salt. My advice is worth every penny you paid for it. All I can do is share my experience, and obviously if any negatives come out of this I will post them, too. The real key is prevention, and while it's not possible to completely eliminate the risk of coccidiosis, at least we can lessen the likelihood.

 

[BlueSkyK]

Mountain girl - I used the same dosage of Corid and am not really positive whether cocci was the issue with my sick bird. I recently read an interesting article on how to do your own fecals (well not exactly your own, but your chickens...) and am thinking about getting what I need for that so I can start learning more detail about the health of my flock. Although with cocci, isn't that always present...maybe the issue being one of volume?

I also have 9 turkeys started (5 midget white, 4 bourbon red) and my, those were a fuss to start. It was 3 days before everyone was eating and drinking ....and now I'm wondering if, because of the yellow poo, the FR had blackhead. The Turks as we call them are still in a coop on sand (coop was completely cleaned out and fresh sand added) and they are doing well. (My horse stalls now house chicken coops and the tack room stores processing equipment...)

Thus the interest in brushing up on my Protozoa...

I'm glad to hear your recommendation on the FR and am looking forward to stocking the freezer! The remaining birds continue to look good and eat and drink well - hoping the same for yours

Kate

 

[mountaingirl196]

Post that link when you get a chance, Kate, I'd love to see it.

We will also add turkeys later in the year, 100 BBWs. I love the turkeys, such sweethearts.

Your barn sounds like mine.

Good luck to you!