Bloody poo

[Kaitie09]

My 28 Cornish X are 4 weeks old and the past couple days I have noticed bloody stool. It looks to be only one, but I do not know which. All of them are running around and eating fine, with no symptoms. Currently I am feeding them medicated chick starter with 20% protein from TSC. They get 17lbs a day and that is it. They are also going through about 3 gallons of water a day. They are locked in their coop at night, and let out to their kennel all day. I clean their bedding every 4 days, and fluff it every day.

The only thing that has changed is I switched from a heat lamp to a white light this past weekend. Our red light died and that is all we had that night. They also will be started on a local mill's broiler mix on Friday, with 22% protein.

Is there anything that I should do to prevent it from spreading? I'd prefer a natural way too.

 

[louieloui]

I'm guessing you have coccidiosis, which spreads very rapidly and can kill birds fast (although in my experience the meat birds can last a bit longer since they have more weight on them). I've heard that apple cider vinegar mixed in to their water can help prevent it, even treat it if it's not too bad. However, we have to use antibiotics as the particular strain we have is a nasty one. ALL of our birds come down with it--although I can't say that ACV is routinely put in to the water despite me telling the kids to do it. Like you I didn't want to use antibiotics on our meat birds, yet after we lost a couple of birds while I was in the hospital, I told the husband/kids to switch to the big guns. We ended up losing 6 in the end, yet we saved the rest. I guarantee that next time I will absolutely make sure to put ACV in the water EVERY time, just to be safe, but will definitely through in the antibiotics if needed rather than lose a bunch.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
I'm pretty sure antibiotics don't treat coccidiosis. Coccidiosis is not bacterial, rather it's a protazoa. Amprolium is the med of choice for a heavy coccidiosis load.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
I'm pretty sure antibiotics don't treat coccidiosis. Coccidiosis is not bacterial, rather it's a protazoa. Amprolium is the med of choice for a heavy coccidiosis load.

Yeah... coccidosis is a protozoa... it lives in the soil and the chickens gut are where they breed. To get rid of them, rather greatly reduce their numbers or help birds gain an immunity, you give a coccidiostat, often a thiamine blocker, that prevents them from reproducing in the gut. If they cannot reproduce, low levels do not make birds sick. No idea how ACV has any real affect on the protoza... if anything at all, the birds might be a bit heathier and can build their immunity faster, but I am not an ACV, pumpkin seed, or DE believer when it comes to a cure. Some antibiotics can kill these protozoa, but as any antibiotic, they can indiscriminately kill many varieties of quickly reproducing organisms.... which is why they kill the good and the bad.

 

[Kaitie09]

My local TSC was out of Sulmet so I have to wait until tomorrow to go to the other store. Is there anything I can do tonight to try to prevent a death?

 

[silkiechicken]

If you suspect cocci... find the one that is droopy and listless and put it away from the flock... if nobody is droopy or listless, you might not be seeing blood. Blood is the last stages and birds will be droopy and listless first, especially with 4 weekers. Other than that, removal of all bedding and changing it out to reduce oocysts (cocci eggs) from being ingested is all you can do in the mean time.

 

[Kaitie09]

I really see no that is listless. All of them are running around outside and pecking away. I went out and refilled their water, all of them fought their way to the front, and then went back to pecking.

I checked the poo chart and there is definitely blood, but it is watery. It is really weird because the poo looks almost like a mix of intestinal lining, cocci, and worms. Some of the droppings have more blood than others, but all all then do have blood.

http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

 

[Kaitie09]

I checked on them today and everyone is fine. There was only one dropping with light blood today.

What could have caused a pullet to have light blood for 1 day, heavy for day 2, and practically nothing for day 3?