Dying Birds:

[Rachelj07]

Hey all! I raise silkies and just recently I have lost two birds. I lost one yesterday and I lost one a week ago from yesterday. The first was roughly a year old male rooster who I have had sense feb. He was fine and then Sunday morning he started sitting in the corner just not moving or anything and staring. By early afternoon he couldn't even hold his head up. What could have happened? I did notice that his rear end was crusted with bird droppings. The second one was a little black silkie only a couple of months old and it was fine and we walked out to the coop yesterday mid morning and it was dead. Never showed any signs or acted sick. This one also had a lot of droppings crusted on it's rear end. What could be happening? Should I worry? Do I need to do something different?? Any help please!

 

[chicmom]

Are you in an area where it's really super hot and humid? It's been scorching here in Ohio with high humidity and temps close to 90 degrees. The chickens are breathing with their mouths open and holding their wings out to cool off. I make sure they have cold water a few times a day. Sometimes you can even mist them with some cool water.....

Rain, heat and humidity can create a breeding ground for coccidiosis, which can kill chicks, but not usually grown birds. The poo on their behinds has to be a clue......how was their weight? Could they possibly need worming?

 

[Rachelj07]

I'm just up in MI it's been 80's and yesterday was the first super humid day. The chick was skinny but it was young and the other chick we got with it is fine (as of this morning). They had full water and the White Rooster I even stuck his beak in water trying to get him to drink. The chick that passed had to be nearing 4 months old (so is it still a chick at that age?)...We have standards in another pen and they have been fine, we have another pen connected to this one and those birds are fine. The rooster was fine other then the odd behavior before passing, weight was good, activity was good until that day.

 

[chicmom]

That could be cocci. It kills very quickly. Did you see any blood in the poo? Little dots of red around the coop or run? That is a tell-tale sign, althought sometime you don't see the bloody stools.

You could buy some meds called Corid. I get mine from Tractor Supply. If you get the powder--I believe it's 20% for Bovine, it only costs $21.00. You can add 3 tbsp per 5 gallons of water, and just put that out for instead of their regular drinking water. It works very quickly.

This cocci can affect all your young ones, and even some young adults, although not normally chicks under 17 weeks. Good luck!

Sharon

 

[Rachelj07]

Thanks I will have to look into it! no red and recently cleaned the coops like 2 weeks ago and everything looked normal. I'll check my TSC...Thanks so much!

 

[MotherJean]

IMHO, if you are going to treat adult chickens for cocci, or chicks that have been on medicated feed, you should choose an antibiotic like Sulmet, not Corid. Corid is nothing more than a stronger version of the amprolium (not an antibiotic) that is in medicated feed. Amprolium is best used as a preventative for coccidiosis and is acknowledged to be most effective toward only 1 strain of the cocci protozoa, Emeira. There are, in fact, 9 different varieties of protozoa that produce cocci. Using an antibiotic (again, like Sulmet) has the added benefit of fighting secondary bacterial infections that may also be present due to the suppressed immune system of a cocci-infected bird. Lastly, in the case of a bacterial infection misdiagnosed as cocci, treating with Corid would be totally ineffective and delay appropriate treatment with antibiotics.

Corid is a swell product to give as a preventative if I choose not to give medicated feed. But, to treat an active outbreak of cocci, I choose an antibiotic.

 

[Rachelj07]

The black one had been on medicated feed up until about a week ago...Do you know where I can get the antibaotics? Is there a way to know for sure if that's what is causing the problem or is that something I would have to have tested?

 

[MotherJean]

Lab testing is the only way to positively identify a coccidiosis infection. You may be able to find Sulmet at your local farm supply/feed store. Many carry a limited supply of pharmaceuticals. If you can find it locally, it is available online through a variety of sources including Dr. Peter Brown at http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/store/. Downside is you'd have to pay for expedited shipping to get started on treatment quickly.