Blood in coop

[cren21]

Hi! First time with chickens. Yesterday I noticed a lot of blood in our coop…an abnormal amount. There wasn’t any poop mixed with it. It was mainly in the roosting bars. I cleaned everything but it looks like there is more blood today. This time some with poop. I would like to treat with Corrid to be safe, but half of our chickens are vaccinated and half aren’t. Any suggestions?

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have a picture of the blood and poop? How old are your chickens? Do they have enough roosting space so they don’t have to fight for positions? Many times blood on the roost can be from a broken blood feather or a pecked comb, but if mixed with blood, it might be best to get some Corid and treat them. Dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid or 1 1/ tsp of the powder per gallon of water for 5-7 days. Symptoms of coccidiosis are lethargy/sleepiness, weakness, no appetite, and standing hunched or puffed up.

 

[cren21]

They have no evidence of anything…all are active and eating. Feathers and combs are good. No evidence of blood on their bodies. There are 14 of them and plenty of room to roost….of course they all want on the top roost bar. They are 13 weeks old. Half are vaccinated and half are not. Can they all get Corrid?

 

[cren21]

They have no evidence of anything…all are active and eating. Feathers and combs are good. No evidence of blood on their bodies. There are 14 of them and plenty of room to roost….of course they all want on the top roost bar. They are 13 weeks old. Half are vaccinated and half are not. Can they all get Corrid?

 

[cren21]

Also, if anyone is still checking this post, there is no bloody stool to be found in their enclosed run

 

[coach723]

If there is any doubt, I would go ahead and treat. The vaccine helps prevent severe outbreaks, but is not 100% effective, so there can still sometimes be illness. Since half are not vaccinated, those birds would be at higher risk. If all are acting ok, you can wait and see, but I would be keeping a very close eye on them, any lethargy at all, acting off at all, would be concerning, and then I would definitely treat. Coccidiosis can kill, and sometimes it can be quick. Blood on roosts can be from a pecking injury in a spat, not uncommon. Combs and wattles can bleed a lot, and afterwards you may see nothing but a tiny black spot on the comb or wattle, which can look like nothing that could cause the amount of blood you saw. I had a roo get a nicked comb, he shook his head and blood went everywhere. The coop looked like a massacre had happened. He was fine.

 

[Eggcessive]

It won’t hurt them to treat for coccidiosis. I have read conflicting evidence about using Corid for vaccinated birds. But, if in doubt I would treat them all. Let us know how they get along.

 

[cren21]

It won’t hurt them to treat for coccidiosis. I have read conflicting evidence about using Corid for vaccinated birds. But, if in doubt I would treat them all. Let us know how they get along.

Thanks! I kept an eye on them and the coop. I haven’t noticed any blood since those couple of days. I’m still checking the coop daily and checking behavior. Hopefully it’s a random event (?)

 

[NetherLeeFarm]

That looks like a pecking issue. I agree that it won't hurt to treat for cocci, but again, I think you've got a bully. You often won't see the injury easily, but start by looking at combs. If pecked, those bleed a lot but heal quickly. You'll likely see black marks (old wounds/blood that has started healing/dried).

I've had this happen for no reason - plenty of roaming & roosting room but one lady is a meanie, regardless. If this is what it is, I'd try to ID the bully and rehome. We did that and a flock with a rooster got her in line quickly.

Again, I'm blind guessing but that's my bet. Btw blood in stool with cocci won't show up in every single stool, but it will always be IN stool, not dribbled on roost and bedding like what I'm seeing here.