Bloody urine/poop in 5 day old chick

[djjwalls]

My chicks are on pine shavings with paper towels over it and it looks like wet spots of blood on the paper towel. The chicks are all acting fine right now. What do I need to do? I think there food is not medicated, it is Dumor Chick Starter/Grower 20%.

 

[ShaggysGirl]

Hi,
I'd first check to see it any are bleeding. if they are separate them. From all I have read if it is blood in the poop then it maybe cocci you should get corrid or something like it.
Best of luck
Rhonda

 

[Judy]

Look here:

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

You will see all sorts of poo for a while. Watch to see if they seem healthy and active, eating and drinking well.

Get some probiotic into them. Plain live culture yogurt, probiotics from the feed store, live culture acidophilous milk, whatever. Their guts need the good flora as they do not have the advantage of a mama hen to provide this.

It is quite possible to see a little blood or bloody looking stuff and have them be OK. On the other hand, cocci do seem to be a problem this year.

If you would feel better treating, Corid would be best.

And get some medicated feed. (Be sure it is medicated with amprolium.)

JMO.

 

[threehorses]

Birds don't urinate, so it's not bloody urine. Instead, they produce a chalky white substance that you'll see at the top of normal solid droppings. That substance is called the "urates".

If you see clear liquid coming from them, like watery urine, then they're either drinking excessive water or producing excessive serum. Both can be signs of either excessive brooder heat, or bacterial infection.

If you see blood in the droppings, I'd treat immediately for coccidiosis especially considering their food is most likely not medicated with amprolium. By the way, unless you're a large scale commercial poultry producer, only buy food medicated with amprolium - never with amprolium and anything else, or anything else separately. Amprolium is *not* an antibiotic - it's an coccidiostat. That means it's designed to head of major problems with cocci, which are protazoa (not bacteria). It's much more gentle on the newly forming bacteria of chicks' guts.

In this case, you'll want a coccidiocide - in other words a stronger form of amprolium. Corid is a wonderful choice. If your feedstore only sells Sulmet or Albon, you can use that instead. Corid is preferred for younger birds. I keep Sulmet around for older birds.

In any case, I highly recommend ddawn's advice of using the probiotics. It's absolutely necessary. Actually you could start with this for two days and then reevaluate to see if you need to treat for coccidiosis. If your birds are otherwise healthy, that's what I'd do. If they decline, start medicating immediately. Use the probiotics anyway and then for two weeks (every other day) after treatment.

Do not use any other medications recommended by the feedstore at this point. No terramycins, etc. Either Corid if you can get it, or Sulmet if you can't.

I'd also recommend medicated feed (amprolium only) for the first six weeks until you're pretty experienced.

I always feed my new babies probiotics anyway, by the way. They're born without good bacteria in their gut. Their gut is like a new territory, ready to be colonized - literally. You want to make sure the GOOD bacteria take over first. Good bacteria not only are what feed your bird, they also ward off bad bacteria and even help the bird be more resistant to cocci. In addition to that, they produce vitamins and enzymes that literally feed your bird. So hedge your bets and start every batch of babies on some probiotics for the first few weeks. Once weekly usually works for mine.

When you're more experienced and you've seen your share of coccidiosis, you can try non-medicated feeds and a probiotic regimine instead. I did that this year (after week one) and it worked well. But then again I've had birds for over 30 years so... Sometimes it's just not worth the worry.

 

[Baymen Moe]

Check carefully for evidence of pecking. I too used paper towels to start and got concerned when I saw small spots of blood on the towels, not in the droppings. It did not last long. If it's in the droppings take the other posters advise.

Bill

 

[Baymen Moe]

Sorry, I just realised the post title said it was in the poop.

Bill

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
I don't know though - it's good to make sure that it IS in the poop, so good call anyway!

 

[djjwalls]

Thanks for all of the advise! I will look for some medicated feed, the non-medicated is all our TSC has. I will also find some corid, it sounds like I will need it.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
I think that's all any TSC has. Mine tries to get you to buy some antibiotic, too. Not what they need. So I go to the feed store, or even the grocery store, and get feed medicated with amprolium.

BTW, some on here have said they did not like Dumor feed (TSC's brand,) that it smelled funny or did not seem fresh. When I realized they had no medicated chick starter, I refused to buy any feed from them, so would not know.

 

[djjwalls]

I appreciate all the help. I just bought the feed TSC had, I didn't know there was a medicated feed. Ya'll are full of great info.