Bloody poop, cocci suspected, please help me nip this!

[KayTee]

Whenever I treat for cocci I make up the medicated water each morning, and then use it to make some wet mash before filling the water bowls. That way I know that the birds are getting the medication one way or another.

I agree with MrsBachbach to hold off putting ACV in the water whilst you are treating for cocci - it is acidic, and I don't know what the effect would be on the cocci medication, so it would be best to wait until after you have completed the treatment.

Have you tried putting a piece of polar fleece, a towel or an old soft toy in the brooder (preferably under or close to the heat lamp)? If the chicks are cold / scared then it will give them both extra warmth and some fluffy comfort. I know my chicks loved to cuddle into an old fleece top that I put in the brooder for them - they would find where the material was wrinkled and would snuggle down into it!

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Thanks KayTee and Mrs.Bachbach for your replies and help!

I'll hold off on the ACV for now until after they go through treatment with the Corid.

Things are looking good this morning... Both chicks that were not eating on their own, are now eating again. Yesterday, I made up a concoction of (raw) egg scrambled, yogurt, a little bit of vitamin powder and a few drops of Corid, plus some baby bird feed (that you get at a pet shop for sickly baby birds). I used a small syringe, without the needle of course, and every two to three hours I dropped a small amount of mixture (warmed up, not cold) on the tip of their beak. I'd feed them about 1cc of this mixture per feeding. They would drink it, albeit slowly. The one chick that was the most ill took the longest to get to eat, but eventually he started to really want the formula. This morning I refilled their feed container and all of the chicks came running and eating voraciously... So I think that mean things are better and that is all good. I'll continue the treatment of Corid of course.

No losses so far in the main coop too... I saw no bloody poops in the coop this morning. None of the birds look ill or listless. I have been making sure that all of the birds get at least a little dosage of Corid by soaking some bread in the water/Corid mix and hand feeding a piece to each of them. I did see bloody poop outside last night... just wish I knew which bird it was.

So just wanted to give an update and also thank all of you for your help.. its appreciated so much!

 

[KayTee]

I'm glad that things are looking up for your birds. If there are no bloody poops overnight and you are only seeing an odd one or two in the day then chances are that there is nothing much to worry about.

Are you sure it's blood, not just shed intestinal lining or cecal poops? If you can post a photo of them then we could offer our combined poopy expertise!

 

[LinaNate]

Great thread!
We've got an outbreak here it seems. My spring chicks in a pen of about 30 birds Never had a problem before but this is our first year with ducks and the weather has been unseasonally wet : / Never had Cocci issues before.

Day 1: Lost one bird - went to get meds from store. Gave meds in 1 waterer that afternoon. Other waterer had ACV, electrolytes & nutridrench in it. Hand carrying sick/ immobile birds to water many wont drink.
Day 2: Still giving meds- Now two waterers have meds. Nothing else in water. Lost two more birds. Some are uneffected compleatly, others are very off. Still hand carrying birds to water. They are drinking now
Day 3: Still giving meds - only lost one bird. Still hand carrying birds to water. Adding a dish of food in it with probiotic powder mixed in.
Day 4: Today, so far no losses. Still a handful of birds that wont leave the coop.

I think my dosing is wrong though, I was told 1/2 tsp per gallon somewhere else on the forums. I've still got a handful of lethargic birds that wont leave the coop but they aren't so weak that they can't hold themselves upright yet. I'd really like to add some electrolytes or vitamins to their water (really can't huh?). Right now as mine will drink the medicine water if we hand carry them over to the waterer but they have zero interest in food.

What I'm really wondering is how long it takes to see turn around after the meds have started...

 

[MrsBachbach]

Great thread!
We've got an outbreak here it seems. My spring chicks in a pen of about 30 birds Never had a problem before but this is our first year with ducks and the weather has been unseasonally wet : / Never had Cocci issues before.

Day 1: Lost one bird - went to get meds from store. Gave meds in 1 waterer that afternoon. Other waterer had ACV, electrolytes & nutridrench in it. Hand carrying sick/ immobile birds to water many wont drink.
Day 2: Still giving meds- Now two waterers have meds. Nothing else in water. Lost two more birds. Some are uneffected compleatly, others are very off. Still hand carrying birds to water. They are drinking now
Day 3: Still giving meds - only lost one bird. Still hand carrying birds to water. Adding a dish of food in it with probiotic powder mixed in.
Day 4: Today, so far no losses. Still a handful of birds that wont leave the coop.

I think my dosing is wrong though, I was told 1/2 tsp per gallon somewhere else on the forums. I've still got a handful of lethargic birds that wont leave the coop but they aren't so weak that they can't hold themselves upright yet. I'd really like to add some electrolytes or vitamins to their water (really can't huh?). Right now as mine will drink the medicine water if we hand carry them over to the waterer but they have zero interest in food.

What I'm really wondering is how long it takes to see turn around after the meds have started...

If you have the liquid Corid, the dose is 9ml per gallon of water. Not sure what that is in tsp. I use syringes to measure out what I need per gallon.
Make sure all your waterers have Corid in it. Don't add the vitamins. If you have birds too sick to go to the waterers and drink, get an eyedropper and give each bird a drop or two of the undiluted medicine directly in their beak. If they are still uninterested the next day, do it again. You should see some improvement in them by day three and they should be able to drink by then. But continue the medication for seven days, then reduce the amount in the water to the preventative dose for seven more days. I think that dose is about a quarter of the above dose. 2.4 ml/gal. Birds need time to develop resistance to the parasite.
Most people don't realize that eventually, if they keep birds over the years, they will have to deal with coccidiosis. It lives in the soil and the birds pick it up naturally. Then they excrete it. Over time, the numbers of the parasite that are carried in your soil multiply. New birds not immune come in, pick it up easily from the soil, and become ill. Unless you have acres upon acres for your birds to roam, and mine do but stay in the same areas anyway, it is very, very likely that new birds or young birds are going to contract it because it is more concentrated in certain areas like a pen.
If you have never had birds on your ground, you may not have to deal with it right away. But eventually, you will. Especially after wet weather which causes a "bloom" of the parasite.

 

[casportpony]

Great thread!
We've got an outbreak here it seems. My spring chicks in a pen of about 30 birds Never had a problem before but this is our first year with ducks and the weather has been unseasonally wet : / Never had Cocci issues before.

Day 1: Lost one bird - went to get meds from store. Gave meds in 1 waterer that afternoon. Other waterer had ACV, electrolytes & nutridrench in it. Hand carrying sick/ immobile birds to water many wont drink.
Day 2: Still giving meds- Now two waterers have meds. Nothing else in water. Lost two more birds. Some are uneffected compleatly, others are very off. Still hand carrying birds to water. They are drinking now
Day 3: Still giving meds - only lost one bird. Still hand carrying birds to water. Adding a dish of food in it with probiotic powder mixed in.
Day 4: Today, so far no losses. Still a handful of birds that wont leave the coop.

I think my dosing is wrong though, I was told 1/2 tsp per gallon somewhere else on the forums. I've still got a handful of lethargic birds that wont leave the coop but they aren't so weak that they can't hold themselves upright yet. I'd really like to add some electrolytes or vitamins to their water (really can't huh?). Right now as mine will drink the medicine water if we hand carry them over to the waterer but they have zero interest in food.

What I'm really wondering is how long it takes to see turn around after the meds have started...

That's not enough. The powder dose for a severe outbreak is no less than 1.5 teaspoons per gallon. Trust me, I've weighed the powder, done the math several ways and confirmed the dose with the mfg. The powder dose for a moderate out break is 3/4 teaspoons per gallon, but most people, myself included, treat for severe. Treat for 5-7 days, then reduce to 1/3 teaspoon for another seven days.

The liquid dose is 9.5ml per gallon or two teaspoons per gallon is close enough. Treat for 5-7 days, then reduce to 1/2 teaspoon per gallon.

Do not give vitamins until treatment is over, especially those with thiamine.

-Kathy

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Hey, just updating...

I only lost one bird, the first initial one to get ill. She went so fast it was scary. That poor girl!

I got the Corrid and it worked wonders... it was cleared up within 4 days but I continued to treat and followed directions. So far no re-occurrences. I never lost any of the chicks either, but it took the longest for them to recover. I'm fairly certain if I did not hand feed those chicks they would have died. It seems to me that hand feeding them the meds in water every 2 hours or so was essential for their recovery.

Thanks everyone for your help!!