Coccidiosis in 3-4 day old silkie chicks

[amberscave]

Yesterday morning I bought 7 silkie and 1 polish chick. I was told they are 3-4 days old. A few a lot smaller than the rest, so I am assuming they are more like 1 day old. When I brought them home, I noticed the bedding in the box they were packed in smelled sour. I put them in the brooder with fresh bedding. By afternoon I noticed one with runny butt, lethargic, standing alone. By evening he had passed.

In the morning I noticed another chick looking lethargic and standing alone. I researched the first chick's symptoms and the heavy rain we got last week, I think they have coccidiosis.

I already have them on medicated chick starter (all my young birds are on this). I added electrolytes and probiotics to their water (I was out yesterday).

My afternoon I lost the other chick and the three smaller chicks started to look weak. I made a mixture of feed and water and used an eye dropper to feed them.

Tonight two of them seem to have turned around. They are not as active as the rest but they are eating and drinking on their own. One of them is holding on, but I don't think he will make it through the night.

Assuming I keep the bedding clean, them on medicated feed, how long does it take for this to run its course? If everyone looks healthy in the morning, are we through this? Can I quit stressing then or is this something that I have to worry about suddenly striking the rest or reoccurring in a few days or a week?

It's hard to protect your heart from the sadness of losing a chick when you have to tend them so vigilant.

Side note, the polish seems to be thriving.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

try giving them some sugar in their water. its a short fix but sometimes it gives them enough pep to last long enough for med to kick in.

 

[Eggcessive]

3-4 days is a little young for coccidosis. Most times they have a bit of immunity from it for the first week. Medicated feed won't treat them if the have coccidosis though, because it doesn't have enough of the amprollium to treat a full blown case. To treat it you would need Corid (amprollium) liquid 2 tsp (or 1 1/2 tsp of powder) in 1 gallon of water. You can divide this by 4 and use quarts. I would wonder if the chicks have aspergillosis from the wet sour bedding. Do you know if the person you got them from got them in the mail or hatched them. If shipped they could be dying of shipping stress, instead of disease.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is some reading on aspergillosis:
http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disfungi.htm
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/7/aspergillosis

 

[amberscave]

Hmm that's possible too. Sounds like cleanliness is the key with that too.

She incubated them. She has a LARGE farm - guineas, ducks, quail, pigeons, goats, pigs, rabbits, etc. The bedding she put in the box looked used, like she grabbed it from another cage. I was busy watching my daughter antagonizing the rabbits to really notice. I noticed the smell when I carried the box to the car. I was only 3 miles from the house so I didn't worry about it too much. I was more worried about getting them under a heat lamp. Now I know...

The feed store here told me there was nothing I could do and they offered no sort of medication. Of course it is Sunday in a small town so my choices of feed stores is limited. If they look weak tomorrow, I can try a few more stores.

The rest look really good right now. Scratching for food, etc. The one looks like he only has another hour or so. Laying flat and gasping for breath. I hate to keep shoving the mash down his throat.

I gave them sugar water last night because I was out of electrolytes. I feel really out of my league here. Of all the chicks I have brooded (store bought, hatched, and mail ordered) these are the first I have had get sick. Usually my biggest problem is my 5 yr old opening the door!

I never realized that Silkies would be so hard

 

[Eggcessive]

If they were on used litter, maybe they could have coccidiosis. If you can get some Corid tomorrow, I might go ahead and treat them for 5 days. Then some people recommend waiting a week or two afterward and treating with half strength again. The Corid full strength is 2 tsp liquid (or 1 1/2 tsp powder) in 1 gallon water for 5 days. I hope they start doing better.

 

[amberscave]

Is Corid a brand or the medication? Should I try a vet or just call around the feed stores?

Fingers crossed that they are on the road to recovery and no relapses.

Heck, I am so paranoid now, I told my husband that we need another brooder. I am afraid to put anything in there again. Once these guys are done with it, I think I will clean this one with BLEACH and let it sit in the sun for a while before I think about putting new chicks in it again.

 

[Eggcessive]

Corid is the brand name of amprollium a cattle medicine that is the drug of choice for coccidiosis. Most farm stores sell it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Ammonia is a good cleaner for cocci in a brooder. It won't hurt chicks to be exposed gradually to a small amount of coccidia since that is how they develop immunity. Broody raised chicks do well on the ground with mother hens usually with no problems.

 

[amberscave]

Ok I'll just ask for the corid instead of "chick medication".

The little one died.

One of the ones I thought was recovering looks poor again. Off to side while the others peck for food

Ugh this sucks!