Heat exhaustion or coccidiosis?

[jossanne]

I'm in southern New Mexico, and our temps have been around 100 for the last few days. I had 6 speckled sussex chicks and 5 oegb chicks, between 8 and 13 weeks old, in a cage inside the coop. When i got home yesterday evening, i had two dead chicks and this morning 2 more ill. All are off their feed, piling in the coop, and not as active as normal. The two sick ones were puffed, droopy, and lethargic. I moved them into the house to cool them down, gave them water, and this evening when I got home they were dead as well. I have been reading about coccidiosis and heat stroke, and they have very similar symptoms. Other than taking a stool sample to the vet, is there a way to tell the difference? I don't want to medicate unnecessarily, but i can't lose more chicks . Their poop is reddish, like it may have blood in it.

I made some homemade electrolyte solution and added acv to it, put a gallon jug of ice in the coop today, and none of the chicks left are any worse this evening, but not much better either. We also installed a fan tonight to cool them off.

My son got married this weekend so I've missed work this past week, i can't miss more work this week, and the vet is 30 miles away. Help!

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. Get some Corid or amprollium, and add it to your water. Feed stores usually have it in the cattle section. If you cannot get amprollium, get Sulmet or sulfa antibiotic. Coops can get very hot in summer, and coccidiosis can really be a problem at this age when they are in a pen. Getting them outside on grass can help, so they aren't exposed to droppings. Keep their bedding dry and clean by adding fresh bedding after stirring it daily. We can help you with dosages when you get the meds.

 

[Adalida]

I'm sorry to hear about your chicks. It's so sad to lose one. I'm actually familiar with where you live, I used to live in Lordsburg. I tend to think heat exhaustion is what got your chicks, but that's based solely on remembering that dry summer heat which sucks all the moisture out of you no matter how much you drink.

 

[jossanne]

I'm sorry to hear about your chicks. It's so sad to lose one. I'm actually familiar with where you live, I used to live in Lordsburg. I tend to think heat exhaustion is what got your chicks, but that's based solely on remembering that dry summer heat which sucks all the moisture out of you no matter how much you drink.

I was in Lordsburg last night, actually. Sorry you had to live there! That's where my parents live, and my dad thinks it's wonderful.

This morning the remaining chicks seen to have improved. All the oegb chicks were eating and a couple of the sussex were as well. I was scared to go outside, worrying about what I'd find, and i was so relieved that none were dead!

We are in the desert and grass is hard to come by. These babies will spend their whole lives in the dirt, unfortunately. They were on medicated chick feed until the youngest ones were 6 weeks old, and I've never had problems with cocci before with starting babies on this feed. I'm picking up some corid this morning, though, just in case. They will get started on it tonight after i get home from work.

 

[jossanne]

I didn't start any corid. They're starting to eat again, and look like they're headed back toward normal. I learned a hard lesson on this one. Poor babies. Thanks for the advice, both of you.

 

[Outpost JWB]

I've had illness go thru my flock similar to what you are experiencing. I think Corid or a wormer is your best bet at this point.

 

[Adalida]

I'm glad your chicks are doing better. I didn't have any chickens when I lived in Lordsburg, they would have had a pretty sad existence in my little dirt back yard in town. I was reading a thread last week where people were giving suggestions for cooling off their chickens in hot weather. One of the suggestions was to freeze water bottles and put them in the coop for the chickens to lay against. Also a fan and ice cubes in their water like you're already doing. I'll see if I can find the thread and post the link for you.

 

[Adalida]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1114249/too-hot-for-a-chicken#post_17177828

This gives some suggestions for hot weather. If the link doesn't work try searching the thread title.

 

[ClaireDL]

ACV is not recommended when it's hot...