Bloody stools, normal behavior

[TheBajan]

I recently purchased 4 Icelandic chicks who are now 8 weeks old. Last weekend I picked up 3 more from the same breeder who are 3 weeks old. Everyone is eating, drinking, and behaving normally. Several days ago I noticed one of the older chicks has watery, bloody stools. This morning I found bloody stool in the brooder with the baby chicks. I am new enough to say I haven't had to deal with any sort of illness in my previous flock and I don't know what this is or how to treat it. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. I don't have any other chickens at the moment but I have 16 chicks arriving in mid-July and I have 47 eggs in the incubator due to hatch on July 9th. I would really like to take care of this before they all get here. Whatever this is will be easier to fix with 7 pullets than with 67.

 

[Denise Mic]

I recently purchased 4 Icelandic chicks who are now 8 weeks old. Last weekend I picked up 3 more from the same breeder who are 3 weeks old. Everyone is eating, drinking, and behaving normally. Several days ago I noticed one of the older chicks has watery, bloody stools. This morning I found bloody stool in the brooder with the baby chicks. I am new enough to say I haven't had to deal with any sort of illness in my previous flock and I don't know what this is or how to treat it. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. I don't have any other chickens at the moment but I have 16 chicks arriving in mid-July and I have 47 eggs in the incubator due to hatch on July 9th. I would really like to take care of this before they all get here. Whatever this is will be easier to fix with 7 pullets than with 67.
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I hope you get an answer to this. I am brand new to raising baby chicks. I have 4 that are about 4 weeks old. the other day i noticed blood and I think I tracked down who it came from. The blood was only about 2 days. Now her feathers are messy. Not lying flat like before. she is eating and drinking and seems fine, other than the crazy hair..

 

[coach723]

Looks like coccidiosis, common in chicks and young birds, or in birds moved to new ground. You need to get some Corid as soon as possible and start treatment quickly. Some strains are more virulent than others and can be fatal quickly. Corid is available at most feed stores and Tractor Supply, in the cattle/livestock section. You can use either the liquid or powder form, most people prefer the liquid for convenience, but either will work (pictures below). I would treat all birds that are kept together with any that are showing symptoms, they have all been exposed. Treatment is very safe. Dosing chart is below, always use the severe outbreak dosing. For any that are showing symptoms of lethargy or look off or that you know have bloody droppings, you can give an oral dose in addition to the medicated water. Dosing for that is here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/corid-oral-drench-instructions.1211991/
No vitamin supplements until treatment is complete, thiamine may reduce the effectiveness of the medication.

 

[TheBajan]

Looks like coccidiosis, common in chicks and young birds, or in birds moved to new ground. You need to get some Corid as soon as possible and start treatment quickly. Some strains are more virulent than others and can be fatal quickly. Corid is available at most feed stores and Tractor Supply, in the cattle/livestock section. You can use either the liquid or powder form, most people prefer the liquid for convenience, but either will work (pictures below). I would treat all birds that are kept together with any that are showing symptoms, they have all been exposed. Treatment is very safe. Dosing chart is below, always use the severe outbreak dosing. For any that are showing symptoms of lethargy or look off or that you know have bloody droppings, you can give an oral dose in addition to the medicated water. Dosing for that is here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/corid-oral-drench-instructions.1211991/
No vitamin supplements until treatment is complete, thiamine may reduce the effectiveness of the medication.
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So does that mean I would add the dose to a gallon of water and change it out every day? Thanks for this info. I've heard of Corid. Should I muck out my coop and disinfect it before my new chicks hatch on July 9th? I plan to move them straight to the brooder from the incubator. By then I expect that the 3 week old chicks will be fully intergrated with the 8 week old pullets. I want to break the cycle of contamination. Is it even possible or should I plan on treating all of the chicks when they hatch?

 

[coach723]

Yes, you mix it in one gallon of water, dosages in the chart are based on one gallon. If you want to make less than a gallon you can just reduce based on the amount of water. And recommendations are that it be made fresh each day. Coccidia are everywhere in the soil. When birds get infected with large numbers they get sick. The oocysts are shed in the droppings and are further spread that way. So keep feeders and waterers as clean as possible and free of droppings, don't let droppings build up where they live, to minimize spread. You can't get rid of them in the soil. Birds that are exposed and recover will have some resistance to whatever strain(s) they are exposed to. Wet, warm conditions can cause what is called a coccidia bloom, where numbers increase and can lead to outbreaks, so a warm, wet brooder is prime, which is why you hear so much about keeping brooder bedding dry. For chicks in a brooder, I start on day one giving them a dish of soil from my yard in a large plant saucer that they can dig and scratch and peck and dustbathe in. This exposes them to the microbes in the soil naturally and gives them a chance to build resistance while their immune systems are maturing, same way it would happen if they were outside with a broody hen. This has greatly reduced my incidence in my flock. I always keep Corid on hand in case I do see symptoms so I can treat quickly. The saucer is easy to dump and clean, and give fresh dirt/soil daily. If new birds are brought in then it's possible for them to bring in a new strain, or if birds are moved to new ground they can be exposed to a new strain, so those times it's good to keep an eye out for any symptoms. Some people use medicated chick feed, it contains a small amount of amprolium (the medication in Corid) which is supposed to help prevent outbreaks. I have never used medicated feed myself, I don't like to treat unless there is a reason. And even with medicated feed, if you do have an outbreak you will still need to treat with the full strength medication. I just keep the medication on hand and use when necessary. It's been 4 or 5 years since I've had an outbreak in my flock, or in any of my chicks, which I credit with the starting them on soil early in the brooder.

 

[TheBajan]

Yes, you mix it in one gallon of water, dosages in the chart are based on one gallon. If you want to make less than a gallon you can just reduce based on the amount of water. And recommendations are that it be made fresh each day. Coccidia are everywhere in the soil. When birds get infected with large numbers they get sick. The oocysts are shed in the droppings and are further spread that way. So keep feeders and waterers as clean as possible and free of droppings, don't let droppings build up where they live, to minimize spread. You can't get rid of them in the soil. Birds that are exposed and recover will have some resistance to whatever strain(s) they are exposed to. Wet, warm conditions can cause what is called a coccidia bloom, where numbers increase and can lead to outbreaks, so a warm, wet brooder is prime, which is why you hear so much about keeping brooder bedding dry. For chicks in a brooder, I start on day one giving them a dish of soil from my yard in a large plant saucer that they can dig and scratch and peck and dustbathe in. This exposes them to the microbes in the soil naturally and gives them a chance to build resistance while their immune systems are maturing, same way it would happen if they were outside with a broody hen. This has greatly reduced my incidence in my flock. I always keep Corid on hand in case I do see symptoms so I can treat quickly. The saucer is easy to dump and clean, and give fresh dirt/soil daily. If new birds are brought in then it's possible for them to bring in a new strain, or if birds are moved to new ground they can be exposed to a new strain, so those times it's good to keep an eye out for any symptoms. Some people use medicated chick feed, it contains a small amount of amprolium (the medication in Corid) which is supposed to help prevent outbreaks. I have never used medicated feed myself, I don't like to treat unless there is a reason. And even with medicated feed, if you do have an outbreak you will still need to treat with the full strength medication. I just keep the medication on hand and use when necessary. It's been 4 or 5 years since I've had an outbreak in my flock, or in any of my chicks, which I credit with the starting them on soil early in the brooder.

I love this advice. Thank you. As I said in my original post, currently, we only have the 7 chicks. The brooder is a brand new renovation to our coop and these chicks have never actually been in our outside run. I'm going to muck out all the bedding, clean the coop and brooder, and begin the corid treatment. Great idea about the soil/dust bath. I'll get that going too. The 3 week old chicks are all hanging out with the 8 week old chicks when I went out there a few minutes ago so integration is going well. By the time my new chicks hatch in 10 days, they will be fully together and no longer in the brooder.