Bloody poo... planted seeds toxic? - Poppies, Purp. Coneflower

[wjmccoy]

Yesterday I noticed very runny tar-like poos from some of our 9 week old chicks. I had planted some seeds, poppies, purple coneflower, and another that I can't remember along with several planted flowers in the chickens favorite browsing spot the day before. I had put cypress mulch there over a week ago (now that I read, maybe its the problem). Thinking that they had coccidias (sp?), we moved them outside last night to their new coop. Well they were there an hour before a raccoon apparently came along and reached his paw in the chicken wire and killed one of the sweet little silkies. That was something I wasn't prepared for! In all my reading I never saw where they would kill them from outside the chicken wire. The chick feed I started them on was not medicated, it was the only one at the TSS and I didn't think it would be a problem as they were supposed to be free rangers (and out in the larger coop by now!).

Any help would be very much appreciated!

Jenny

 

[SeaChick]

Can you get a fecal sample to a vet for test? I know it can be hard: I spent about 6 hours tracking down someone to do it... but I had a 8-week chick with bloody poop, too last week. Got a positive cocci diagnosis and the Sulmet treatment seems to be working great.
9 weeks is way on the outside for cocci, I was told (usually strikes younger) but not impossible.
P.S. If you wrap the bottom of your pen with hardware cloth (like 1/2" guage) the coons will not be able to reach in.