Diarrhea for a week now - 1yo hen

[kimfischer]

i have a question my chicken has a red vent is this fine or is it something else

 

[Fancychooklady]

A red angry looking vent can be a sign of mites.

 

[LilacLes]

I took Omelet to the vet today - she just isn't getting better and I'm anxious for her to improve. Her symptoms just didn't sound like anything definite (so at least we didn't miss anything obvious!), so I had the choice of giving her a bunch of broad-spectrum medicines or getting an x-ray. I opted for the x-ray, and although it still wasn't conclusive, his best guess was that she has an impacted gizzard. Never would have known otherwise.

So I asked about the yogurt and he said it was fine in small servings, which she gets, especially since she's so used to it. The treatment is mineral oil a couple of times a day and antibiotics if she doesn't improve in a couple of days.

Anyway, he made it clear that it was still a guess since she isn't presenting symptoms of anything specific. Thanks all for your help/suggestions and let's keep our fingers crossed!

 

[Fancychooklady]

I do hope omelet can put this behind her. Good luck.

 

[LilacLes]

Well, got a new unpleasant development. This morning when I was letting the chickens out, one of them turned around and blasted out a big glob of runny diarrhea like Omelet. Also, when I was checking on the babies, I noticed some bloody stool. So after shrieking like a little girl for a while, I came up with a plan.

My son has a microscope, so I gathered a sample and managed to get a look at what's going on. Keeping in mind that I took a couple of semesters of microbiology in university 600 years ago, I believe that I was still able to identify many coccidia oocytes. I used a blue dye so their little cell walls lit up really nicely. And they were everywhere. Seriously hard to miss.

This irritates me greatly because I spent over $200 at the vet, who had a good fecal sample, but he was impatient, brusque, and talked to me like I have downs. I really don't think he put much effort into it at all, even after I explained that my chickens are pets and not "poultry". In her x-ray, Omelet's large intestine was inflamed so when I asked about coccidiosis he told me that only her small intestine would be swollen. Even a simple search online shows me that different strains of coccidia affect different parts of the gut.

Obviously I should have done this myself first, but I lacked the confidence in myself to be able to spot anything let alone identify it. I'm still not 100% sure, but everyone's on Corid just in case I'm right! I've also ordered some sodium nitrate so I can do my own float test for worms. Grr! I'm mad at myself for not taking the initiative and mad at the vet for being a jerk and the only chicken vet within an hour's drive. I just hope to all the gods that my babies won't die off en masse.

 

[casportpony]

JDue to some confusion on dose amounts regarding the powder, I decided to do some research and this is what I have so far. For those of you that use powder Corid, if you have been using 1/2 teaspoon per gallon (~278.58mg) you haven't been using enough.

The preventative dose (.006%) for Corid Powder is 1/3 teaspoon.
The preventative dose (.006%) for Corid liquid is 1/2 teaspoon.

The moderate outbreak dose (.012%) for Corid Powder is 3/4 teaspoon.
The moderate outbreak dose (.012%) for Corid liquid is 1 teaspoon.

The severe outbreak dose (.024%) for Corid Powder is 1.5 teaspoons
The severe outbreak dose (.024%) for Corid liquid is 2 teaspoon.

Corid mixing instructions for preventative (.006%) and moderate (.012%) outbreak dosing.
http://www.corid.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/CORID Slim Jim-All.pdf

Amprol 20% powder:
http://www.asp-inc.com/products/documents/prodinfo/a/amp128.pdf

Amprol 9.6% liquid:
http://www.asp-inc.com/products/documents/prodinfo/a/amp96.pdf

FDA recommendations:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/animaldrugsatfda/details.cfm?dn=013-149
"Chickens
Indications: For the treatment of coccidiosis.
Amount: Administer at the 0.012 percent level in drinking water as soon as coccidiosis is diagnosed and continue for 3 to 5 days (in severe outbreaks, give amprolium at the 0.024 percent level); continue with 0.006 percent amprolium-medicated water for an additional 1 to 2 weeks."

And this link has these instructions:
http://www.drugs.com/vet/amprol-9-6-solution-can.html
"Poultry - as Soon As Caecal Coccidiosis Is Diagnosed, Give 0.024% Amprolium In The Drinking Water For 5 To 7 Days. Continue The Treatment With 0.006% Amprolium Medicated Water For An Additional One To Two Weeks. No Other Source Of Drinking Water Should Be Available To The Birds During This Time."

• There are 200mg of amprolium in every 1 gram of powder.
• 1 ounce = 3.5 tablespoons = 28.35 grams
• 200 x 28.35 = 5670mg in 3.5 tablespoons of powder.
• There are 10.5 teaspoons in 3.5 tablespoons
• There are 20.5 1/2 teaspoons in 10.5 teaspoons
• 5670mg divided by 20.5 1/2 teaspoons = ~276.58mg per 1/2 teaspoon
• There are two 1/4 teaspoons per 1/2 teaspoon
• 276.58 mg divided by 2 = 139.29mg per 1/4 teaspoon

Amount of Amprolium (Corid or Amprol) powder per 1/4 teaspoon
​

• One 1/4 teaspoon = 139.29 mg
• Two 1/4 teaspoons = 278.58 mg
• Three 1/4 teaspoons =417.87 mg
• Four 1/4 teaspoons = 557.16 mg
• Five 1/4 teaspoons = 696.45 mg
• Six 1/4 teaspoons = 835.74 mg
• Seven 1/4 teaspoons = 975.03 mg
• Eight 1/4 teaspoons = 1114.32 mg

Amount of Amprolium (Corid or Amprol) liquid per 1/4 teaspoon
​

• One 1/4 teaspoon liquid = 120 mg
• Two 1/4 teaspoons = 240 mg
• Three 1/4 teaspoons = 360 mg
• Four 1/4 teaspoons = 480 mg
• Five 1/4 teaspoons = 600 mg
• Six 1/4 teaspoons = 720 mg
• Seven 1/4 teaspoons = 840
• Eight 1/4 teaspoons = 960 mg

-Kathy

Disclaimer:
In the past I have treated my chicken chicks with 2 teaspoons of the liquid for 5-7 days, that's it, but I *might* try the .006% follow up the next time I have to treat chicks.

I make lots of typos, so if anyone finds a discrepancy in post, please let me know and I'll fix it!

 

[casportpony]

It might be a good idea to de-worm her and the rest of the flock, too.

-Kathy

 

[LilacLes]

That's excellent info Kathy, thanks so much!! Yeah I think I'll deworm too once the Corid is done. Thank you!

-Les

 

[Fancychooklady]

Most vets will freely admit, that they are at a loss when it comes to chickens. If you sort through the " old wives tales " on here, there are a lot of knowledgeable people on this site. As always Kathy has done her homework, and I think that aside from the dosage rates, you should pay particular attention to the timetable . After the initial 5-7 days, drop the dosage and treat for a further 10-14 days. This is important to help build immunity to the coccidia . Amprolium belongs to the B vitamin group. The bottle I have states on the label, that there is no withholding period.
And good on you for taking the initiative to find out what was going on for yourself . I hope omelet and her buddies on the road to recovery.