dying 1 week old chicks

[Chickensandchicks]

I have had 2 chicks die yesterday I thought due to major drop in temp...did have a heat lamp on but thought they looked somthered like others piled on them....but today while doing my coop cleaning I clean bedding twice a week....i saw blood. Bright red....i noticed 1 chick had pasty butt so I temporarily stopped cleaning coop and brought the little one in cleaned his bottom and took him back out ....continued cleaning coop and noticed 2 chicks barely moving and so I kept eye on them they both pooped liquid blood! I tried getting them water but no interest....i think its coddicidious ( totally spelt wrong) I am going to feed store an hour away to get the med. To treat ....do I treat everyone in the coop.....i have several different ages in coop but they are all divided in spaces by wire.....i have not seen blood in any other area inside coop or individual runs except in these week olds. Next question is how did they get this?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Coccidiosis is in the ground. Normally chicks are able to slowly build up immunities, but sometimes if there is dirt introduced too early, it can overwhelm them

 

[Chickensandchicks]

Coccidiosis is in the ground. Normally chicks are able to slowly build up immunities, but sometimes if there is dirt introduced too early, it can overwhelm them

They have not been on any dirt yet....still confined to their area of coop

 

[EggSighted4Life]

.i have not seen blood in any other area inside coop or individual runs except in these week olds. Next question is how did they get this?

Treat all that are in the same group.. using the outbreak dose of Corid.

The ones that aren't actively eating and drinking still will need to have it administered directly to the beak.. a drop just below the nostrils will roll around into the mouth and be swallowed instinctively. Holding the chick and facing the beak into the bend of the finger can help catch and direct the drip.

Coccidia(a protozoa) are is every chicken poo as well as many other animals..

It becomes coccidiosis when too many sporulated oocysts (microscopic eggs are exposed to air) are ingested.. usually in the drinking water. It happens most easily in warm and humid conditions.. like that of a chick brooder.. There are MANY strains of coccidia. Of the 9-11 currently known strains that do effect chickens.. only one may ever present as blood in droppings.

So to be clear they are all carrying SOME strain of coccidia.. and it's okay when kept in check.. the problem becomes when the coccidia are overwhelming their host via excessively large number..

Using nipple waterers, changing water often if open type, make SURE shaving are not wetter underneath than they appear on top.

Sometimes the overwhelm comes when they are exposed to a heavy dose of different strain.. like being put on new pasture full time instead of gradual exposure to build some immunity. Since I bring in a scoop of dirt from the yard in week one, I have never faced this again.

Do NOT use vitamins during treatment with Corid (amprolium) as it works by mimicking thiamine a B vitamins to starve out and slow the growth of the coccidia. It doesn't actually kill anything. In some areas when resistance has been built by coccidia to the amprolium folks may need a prescription for a sulpha antibiotic.

Note it takes at least 6 days after exposure to coccidia for any symptoms to appear.. But aside from internal injury which I have never yet seen from a week old chick.. there is zero reason to have bloody droppings not related to coccidiosis..

At one week old.. some losses are pasty butt related.

I also find if I was initially using supplement like poultry nutri drench, the passing of those that may have passed earlier from internal digestive/ developmental deficiencies we can't see sometimes happens was delayed until I discontinued the supplement.