Blood / Coccidia? Dog attack? Internal Layer?

[SabaiFarms]

I'm a bit confused and I'm hoping someone can help out with some info.

First of all, this all started with a dog attack (neighbors dogs) that killed some silkies and left an OEGB hen missing. One of the other silkies had a wound to his face, but nothing too serious. They are all white so he looked horrible with bright red blood on him. I didn't notice any other wounds.

Today when I went out to the coop the silkies are all covered in blood. I tracked the one down with the face injury and it's healling well. I started looking around for the injured chicken, but found nothing. My silkies are young and haven't quite figured out roosting so they sleep in a pile under the roost bars. Looking at where they were sleeping I saw blood next to them as if someone on the roost above them was bleeding. (picture below)



I thought maybe I had missed an injury from the dog attack and started checking the older hens. I didn't find anything at all. They are free rangers and weren't really interested in being caught, so I didn't get them all. Doing more investigating I started finding what looked like bloody poops around the yard and freaked out assuming I had coccidia, which I've never had before.

After doing some research I realized that they would be acting sick and not eating/drinking if they had it. My entire flock is healthy looking, running around like normal, eating, drinking, laying eggs, etc. So now I'm really confused. I've seen blood before from my Marans rooster (my EE Roo picks fights with him sometimes) so seeing blood here and there is pretty normal, but this is a lot of blood so I'm quite concerned.

I do have one hen that's an internal layer that has had issues for a long time. I should just cull her, but she's one of my favorites. Could this be from her?

I put Corid in all the waterers but I'm really not sure that it's coccidia.

Right now I have 25ish standard hens, 15 silkies, 100ish one month olds outside in a heated coop, 60 day olds in the house and 100 chicks and 20 turkeys coming on Monday. I'm really concerned!

Any thoughts or suggestions at all?

 

[Judy]

Internal layers usually don't bleed. Did you secure your coop any better after the dog attack? This coud be from an number of predators. Honestly, blood spread all around like that makes me think rats or mice. There are just so man possibilities, though. Have you checked each bird over carefully? There is even a respiratory disease that makes them sneeze or cough blood and spray it around the coop.

I hope you get this resolved soon.

 

[SabaiFarms]

Thank you so much for your reply. The dog attack was not the first, and most likely won't be the last. They are free range birds and occasionally while they're out the neighbors dogs get a few. It did not happen in the coop. It's the price you pay to have free range birds out here unfortunately. I do keep a rifle by the back door and will take out any predator by my coop. The neighbors know this too.

When the hens go in tonight I am going to check each one thoroughly. Hopefully I find something. I've been watching them all day and there is no sign of sickness and every poop I see is normal.

I never thought of mice or rats. I know there are mice in the coop but I never thought maybe they were causing the problem. I'll have to try to get those silly silkies up on the roost ASAP. Even my one month old chicks understand the roosts!

Hopefully I find the source of the blood soon because it's really worrying me.

Thanks again!

 

[Judy]

I've read of rats chewing on feet on the roosts. I've also read of Silkies who never roost. So, good luck!

I hear you, on the free range thing. We used to, and lost most of the first flock, over time. My son decided that was enough and he built about a 70'x70' fenced yard. It's hardly predator proof, though it is dig proof, and so far has been enough to prevent any more losses to predators. But I still miss calling them to the back porch for treats....

 

[SabaiFarms]

Update:

My roo has completely recovered from the dog attack. My internal layer has been culled.

I've treated with Corid numerous times using the "severe outbreak" dosage but continue to have blood in poops. I've cleaned out all the coops twice. I have not lost a single chicken nor have any of them shown any signs of sickness. They are all healthy, happy, eating, drinking, free ranging chickens, but still have bloody poops here and there.

Any ideas? Strange strain of coccidia that's not fatal and resistant to Corid?

Help! I'm stumped.

 

[SabaiFarms]

Any idea why I can't edit my first post? I'd like to update the title but there is no edit button in the first post.

 

[SabaiFarms]

Nothing?

I remember when I first joined this forum. I was so impressed at how helpful everyone was. Seems it's turned into a bunch of games... It's a shame.

I guess I'll take my questions elsewhere...