Dont know what is wrong

[B40chick]

I am new to chicken keeping. I bought eight 4 week old pullets. I have lost two. Gave worm treatment when one was sick. I now have six 14 week olds who have been happy and healthy acting. In the last week my Cochin, who is smaller than the others, is starting to stay to herself a lot. I don't see signs of mites, and I have not detected bullying. When I put yogurt out, she comes dashing out to eat with others. I have seen her feed with others, and she snuggles up with the rest on the roost at night. She likes laying in the nesting boxes, which none of the others have done. Many times when she is with the others she seems to be sleepy. She tries to snuggle with another chicken. What should I try to help her perk up? Do I need to separate her?

 

[coach723]

What symptoms did you see in the ones that died? Is your cochin smaller than the others due to breed differences, or is she just not growing like others that are the same breed? How do her droppings look? Normal, mucousy, bloody, runny? Is she eating and drinking normally, and crop function is normal? The crop should be empty in the morning before access to food and water, and should fill and empty throughout the day as she eats and digests. What did you worm with and what dose? Did you see signs of worms or have a fecal done, or just wormed in case?

 

[B40chick]

This hen is the only one I have of this breed. So size might be a breed difference. I have three Leghorns, one Light Brahma, and one Australorp.
I had a sick Leghorn early on. She was the runt. Did not grow like the others. No testing, just saw bloody dropping once, but not sure which one it came from. She had dirty bottom feathers and was lethargic, so I treated all the birds with Corrid. She didn't pull through. My other loss was my oldest chicken going lame. Could not walk.
I will have to see if I can watch her and observe droppings. She was eating yogurt feed combo this morning. I will feel her crop if I can get hold of her.

 

[B40chick]

I watched my little sick Cochin. She did have some messy feathers at her vent, and all the other symptoms seem to point to worms.
I have isolated her now. She has water with corid and vitamins. I treated her with Vet-RX because she seems to be having breathing issues. I have feed available and also put some yogurt in there. She loves it, so she might eat a little. Now wait and see if I waited too long.

 

[coach723]

Corid will treat for coccidiosis, which is a parasite, but it's a protozoan type. If you want to treat most of the other types you will need a wormer like Safeguard liquid goat wormer or Valbazen. VetRX is basically like Vicks vapor rub, it may help with symptoms, but it won't actually 'treat' anything.

 

[B40chick]

Corid will treat for coccidiosis, which is a parasite, but it's a protozoan type. If you want to treat most of the other types you will need a wormer like Safeguard liquid goat wormer or Valbazen. VetRX is basically like Vicks vapor rub, it may help with symptoms, but it won't actually 'treat' anything.

Can I use either of these along with the Corid?

 

[coach723]

I have used both at the same time. The wormers will need to be given orally, so you will need an oral syringe (no needle) most tractor supplies have them, or a pharmacy, just ask. You can probably get Safeguard locally, Valbazen you will probably have to order. I prefer Valbazen since it's a smaller amount to dose and you do two doses 10 days apart. Safeguard is a larger amount and for round worms you would dose twice, 10 days apart, for some of the other worms you would need to dose 5 days in a row. Which ever you get, you will need a weight on the bird to correctly dose (a digital kitchen scale works well). Safeguard dose is .23ml per pound of weight, Valbazen dose is .5ml for a standard sized bird. Actual formula for dose by weight for Valbazen is weight in lbs/ 2.2 X 20mg /113.6

 

[B40chick]

We lost the battle. I gave her the wormer, but it was too late. I have 5 remaining chickens. To be on the safe side I put the goat wormer in their water for the last two days. I understand I should repeat in 10 days. I don't see any signs of sickness in them. I sure hope it stays that way.

 

[coach723]

Putting it in the water will not treat them with the correct dose. It isn't formulated to mix in water, it will settle out. You need to dose each bird individually, orally. The only Safeguard that can be mixed in the water is Safeguard Aquasol, and it's very, very expensive. Underdosing birds can cause you to end up with parasites that are resistant to the medication.

 

[B40chick]

So what do you suggest? My birds are not particularly tame and I don't see how I could dose them.. If they look fine should I just let it be?