Chickens wasting away and I'm stumped. Cocci?

[Keylime]

For about a month and a half, I've noticed many of my flock of 18 hens seem to be wasting away. Symptoms: severe weight loss, a variety of weird poops and diahrea, and hyperactivity, ravenous (they are eating feathers). Week one: rubbed them down with DE and thoroughly disinfected everything and treated for parasites with Wazine. Week two: treated with Ivermectin. Did surgery on the hens who had bumble foot. (Most of them are molting, so egg production is down, and combs are pale, but I can't exactly count these as symptoms).

I never did see any worms come out. Maybe my ivermectin is expired. The past couple of days, I've been noticing a few bloody blobs and strings in the poop, which could be intestinal lining. But it could be cocci? I had a chick with cocci once, and she had the traditional symptoms, which these hens don't have.

I did offer grit, which they ate at an alarming rate.

 

[coach723]

How old are they?
I would recommend that you worm them with either Safeguard liquid goat wormer, or Valbazen. Wazine is discontinued, and dosing is determined by how much water they drink. If they don't drink enough, and sick birds sometimes don't, they don't get enough. Ivermectin is becoming ineffective for some parasites. The Safeguard and the Valbazen are very effective and are dosed directly orally. Those will take care of everything except tapeworm.
If they are mature hens and you haven't brought any new birds in recently, then coccidiosis is less likely (not impossible) as they should have built resistance to any strains that are there.
What do you feed? Is getting a fecal test done possible for you?

 

[Keylime]

How old are they?
I would recommend that you worm them with either Safeguard liquid goat wormer, or Valbazen. Wazine is discontinued, and dosing is determined by how much water they drink. If they don't drink enough, and sick birds sometimes don't, they don't get enough. Ivermectin is becoming ineffective for some parasites. The Safeguard and the Valbazen are very effective and are dosed directly orally. Those will take care of everything except tapeworm.
If they are mature hens and you haven't brought any new birds in recently, then coccidiosis is less likely (not impossible) as they should have built resistance to any strains that are there.
What do you feed? Is getting a fecal test done possible for you?

The oldest are 7 yrs. Youngest are a little over a year. None of them are new, but they do have a large dirt run, and while wild birds can't eat or drink with the hens, they do sit in the trees that grow over it. I can tell you they don't have tapeworms because I have never seen the telltale "seedy" oocyte poop.

Do you know if I can treat them with safeguard and CORID? It has been 80 degrees and rainy here. Perfect conditions for cocci.

 

[coach723]

Yes, you can use Safeguard and Corid at the same time.

 

[Keylime]

Yes, you can use Safeguard and Corid at the same time.

Thank you so much. Are you recommending I give it to them with a syringe?

 

[coach723]

The Safeguard should be given with a syringe, the Corid can be mixed in the drinking water.

 

[Keylime]

The Safeguard should be given with a syringe, the Corid can be mixed in the drinking water.

Darn! I just read that Safeguard shouldn't be given to molting chickens as it damages the growing feathers. Almost all my hens are molting right now. Pyrantel Pamoate is recommended for molting hens. Does anyone have any experience with this? Pyrantel is a human worming med.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have never seen a problem with SafeGuard use during molt. But Valbazen is fine to use during molt, and is a better wormer than pyrantel. It is easily found online and in some feed stores.

 

[Keylime]

I have never seen a problem with SafeGuard use during molt. But Valbazen is fine to use during molt, and is a better wormer than pyrantel. It is easily found online and in some feed stores.

I will look for Valbazen at Tractor and Supply. I feel kind of desperate that I want to do this ASAP.

Some of my chickens are pooping clear liquid. Could this be blackhead? I sure hope not. Vets here won't treat chickens

Also, when I provided grit today, most of them GOBBLED it down. I hadn't been giving them girt before because they live in a 400 square foot pen in rocky soil, but maybe that was a mistake? They normally get layer pellets, but they are now on chick starter feed with probiotics.

 

[coach723]

Blackhead usually presents with yellow or sulfur colored droppings.
While there is the possibility of a bird having a feather growth issue with Safeguard during molt, it's not super common. "Possible" doesn't mean it WILL happen. I've used it many times during molt and have never had an issue. But it's a possibility, so something to be aware of.
Valbazen is often not available locally, just depends on your store, you usually have to order it online. My TSC used to carry it but stopped many years ago. If you have sick birds, I would go ahead and use the Safeguard rather than wait for the Valbazen. You can order the Valbazen and have it on hand for the next time.
What do you feed them? How old are they?