coccidiosis?

[lisamarie]

hi all,

i had a 10 month old laying hen die about 3 weeks ago. my 23 hens are free ranged over 3 acres and only in the coop at night. for the past 2 months or so a lot of them have had runny poop sticking to their feathers. in the case of the hen who died, for about 2-3 weeks she was lethargic, stood in one position for long periods of time, and "puffed up" on and off throughout the day. she also stopped roosting at night and simply slept in her nesting box. she lost weight pretty rapidly until she was super skinny. i observed her eating and drinking, though, during this time period, and i don't see any blood in poop. she eventually died.

now, i have 2 maybe 3 other hens who are exhibiting the same symptoms.

do you think this could be coccidiosis?? if so, i found some natural treatments, but how do i have to go cleaning out the coop, waterers, etc?

thanks,
lisa

 

[PunkinPeep]

no, this does not sound like coccidiosis. grown hens are almost always resistant to the protozoa by that age.

the exception to this would be if they have recently been moved to a new location.

The lethargy, etc., are really symptoms of illness in general. And the weight loss you described sounds like a crop/digestive problem .... or in extreme cases parasites.

Coccidiosis, when it kills, kills more quickly than what you described also.

If i were you, i would do a thorough check for mites and lice, and i would consider worming them - but carefully. If they're already sick, especially, you have to be careful about not worming them too aggressively.

I would also pay attention to their crops and be sure they're getting enough grit. If you withdraw food over night and then check their crops in the morning, the crops should be pretty much empty. If not, you'll know that something is causing their crops to become impacted.

I don't want to give you info overload because there are a lot of things that could yield the symptoms you're seeing. But i would start with a thorough exam of each sick bird and see what seems to stand out to you. Start there.

 

[lisamarie]

thanks for your reply!

we did move 2 months ago so maybe the coccidiosis would be possible then? every picture i find of a chick or hen w/ coccidiosis is puffed up like my hens, but maybe hens puff up regardless of what is making them sick?

but i also started to use more straw in their coop as well. switched to rice straw which they seem to love to peck at unlike the wheat straw. i will check their crops. i can't imagine that they are not getting enough grit, though.

thanks!

 

[PunkinPeep]

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Yes, that does make it more likely that it could be coccidiosis. If you don't find another culprit, it might be worth it to do a round of Corid for everyone.

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Yeah, exactly. I've had chicks, cockerels, hens, puff up exactly the same way for many different problems.

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The straw could be getting stuck in their crops. You'll probably be able to feel that pretty easily if it is.