Coccidiosis - weak legs

Chicken-Witch

In the Brooder
Jun 16, 2025
4
17
24
Hi all,

I have an 18 month old Belgian D'Uccle named Genie.
3 weeks ago we found Genie in her run, unable to stand. When I approached her, she tried to move away from me and just rolled over. We brought her inside and started vitamins, plus I treated her for coccidiosis.
After a week she was able to stand, but when I took her out into the garden, my other hen pecked her and she flopped straight back down. She then stopped eating and drinking and ended up in hospital.
She spent 3 days at the vet getting fluids. She had lost 40% of her body weight and her fecal float test came back positive for coccidiosis.
They treated her for coccidiosis and she is now at home on antibiotics and being fed a high calorie diet.
She can stand with a bit of support, but if I let her go she just rolls over.
Could this be from coccidiosis or could it be something more sinister? I am happy to keep her inside and treat her, but I don't want to find her unable to stand 6 months down the track. She's the most gorgeous little girl and deserves only the best things.
 

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She is so cute. Is she having diarrhea, or any intestinal shed? Normally, acute coccidiosis that would make a chicken that weak, would show some signs in the poop. A few coccidia in a fecal sample is perfectly normal, but many vets will treat if any show up. Call your vet and ask how many were counted on the slide. If she had a heavy load, you may be dealing with an amprolium resistant strain, and discuss this with your vet. If she did not have a heavy load, given her age, her system "should' be able to handle it. There may be more going on here. Calling some help. @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive
 
What drug did you treat her with for coccidiosis, and what one did the vet use? B vitamins (especially thiamine) should not be used during treatment with Corid or amprollium. Does she lay eggs normally, and have you seen any soft or abnormal eggs? If you hold her up to stand, do her legs appear straight? Pictures may help. Is she eating and drinking? What are you feeding her? If she is through with treatment I would give her human super B complex vitamins 1/4-1/2 tablet daily crushed into a bit of food or a spoonful of water.
 
She was having very watery green poops, but they look really good now.
I treated her with coccipropal but I was also pumping her full of multivitamins from dine a chook :( the vet gave her Baycox and she is having it again this week.
If i pick her up, her legs look straight and she kicks them like crazy, although I notice she doesn't like to put one leg forward.
She's eating like a horse and drinking well. If she sits on my lap or I put a towel behind her she sits really well. None of my chickens have laid for at least 4 months.
Its also worth noting she has gone through an insane moult and had mites in the past 6 weeks.
 

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