Help, Coccidiosis

[herechilychiky]

If you take a sample to your vet they shouldn't charge a lot if anything. I'm going to finish up then start the vitamin reg. etc and see how it goes. Everyone has started laying again and look good with the exception of the weight loss and runny stool. If I still have the signs I will take a sample and have it read. It's a learning process. Everyone here does a good job of steering you in the right direction.

 

[Eggcessive]

I kept mine on Corid for 7 days. Just took them off yesterday. I am also adding electrolytes to their water today, as that was suggested, once the corid treatment was finished. I am completely stumped. We just cannot afford vet bills at this point or I would simply go that route.
I am going to pull the one who is still not doing well at all and put her in our small coop. That way I can give her specialized attention. I am really questioning whether we are dealing with Cocci at this point. After the worming, if I don't see normal stools from all, I will try the Cyclines with ascorbic acid.

Adding probiotics and vitamins are best after completing the Corid. You may be seeing stools that are still not back to normal from the coccidiosis, and the probiotics may help. You stated that you tried oxytetracycline first (I know without the vitamin C though.) Enteritis can be common from what I have read, and sometimes cocci can be a precursor. Penicillin, amoxicillin,erythromycin, orally or in the water, or bacitracin in the feed will treat it. You also stated you thought it could be fowl cholera, which responds to sulfadimethoxine (also treats cocci,) erythromycins, penicillin, and tetracyclines. It's interesting that erythromycin and penicillin will treat either one. Gallimycin is the brand name for erythromycin. Michael Apple is much more knowledgeble about these things than I am, since I haven't treated them. Here are some links to read:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/101/necrotic-enteritis
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/61/fowl-cholera-pasteurellosis
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex4616
http://www.jefferspet.com/gallimycin-powder/camid/liv/cp/WJ-G5/

 

[cmccindy]

Thanks! Michael Apple is very knowledgeable and helpful, as well as many other's, Up until now we have been very fortunate with our ladies, except for the two we lost to predators last summer. I am also starting them on Yogurt, for pro-biotic benefits in addition to the electrolytes. I am worried that I have been throwing too much at them in an effort to stop what is happening.

My thinking is to give this a few days and see if they settle and improve from the two treatments I have already tried, if I see any indication anyone is getting worse again, I will go to the Sulfadimethoxine Route and see if that gets us somewhere. I think the Fowl Cholera would be the next most likely problem based on the symptoms we have been dealing with.

Is it ok to worm them while giving the yogurt and electolyte's?

 

[Eggcessive]

I don't see why not, and remember it's vitamins not electrolytes they need (of course some vitamins contain both.) Rooster Booster sells one at TSC that contains all three. Dawg53 and M. Apple recommend buttermilk in small amounts as a great probiotic source. I agree that we can sometimes throw too much at them at once. I hope you start to see improvement soon, and you're welcome.

 

[cmccindy]

Another stupid question... Can I just crush up Vitamin C to give them in place of the powdered ascorbic acid if I need to use the cyclines to treat?

 

[Eggcessive]

Vitamin C and ascorbic acid are the same. I have seen M.Apple advise people to substitute some cranberry juice into tetracycline to both give the vitamin C, and to make it more appealing and palatable, since it is apparently bitter tasting.

 

[cmccindy]

Rooster Booster also has a medicated Wormer that is also a vitamin and mineral supplement and is added to the feed. Do you know if this is a good wormer? The Valbazen I found locally is $79, the wormer with the vitamins and minerals from Rooster Booster is much less!

This is the information on their site:

Rooster Booster Triple Action Multi-Wormer
Plus all the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids needed by poultry.
Rooster Booster Triple Action Multi-Wormer is a type B Medicated Feed Concentrate & Vitamin Supplement. Rooster Booster Triple Action Multi-Wormer is a multi-action product that kills round worms, cecal worms, and capillary worms in poultry, fowl, pigeons, ducks, geese, turkeys, and quail. This product also contains active ingredients that serve as effective treatments in chronic respiratory disease like air sac infection and infectious enteritis. Rooster Booster Triple Action Multi-Wormer is blended in a nutrition-rich base containing essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and direct-fed microbials.
Indications for use: Treatment of chronic respiratory disease (air sac infection); blue comb (non-specific infectious enteritis); control of infestations of large roundworms (Ascaris galli), cecal worms (Heterakis gallinae), and capillary worms (capillaria obsignata).

Guaranteed Analysis per Pound
Lysine Min. 0.19% per pound
Methionine Min. 0.24% per pound
Calcium Min. 2.75% per pound
Calcium Max. 3.00% per pound
Magnesium Min. 0.28% per pound
Manganese Min. 535 ppm
Cobalt Min. 7.20 ppm
Zinc Min. 823 ppm
Vitamin A Min. 500,000 IU per pound
Vitamin D-3 Min. 50,000 ICU per pound
Vitamin E Min. 640 IU per pound
Vitamin B-12 Min. 1 mg per pound
Riboflavin Min. 400 mg per pound
D pantothenic Acid Min. 150 mg per pound
Thiamine Min. 200 mg per pound
Niacin Min. 1,000 mg per pound
Vitamin B-6 Min. 100 mg per pound
Folic Acid Min. 300 mg per pound
Biotin Min. 16 mg per pound
Bacillus Subtilis 2 billion CFU's per pound
Bacillus Licheniformis 1 billion CFU's per pound
Bacillus Coagulans 1 billion CFU's per pound

 

[Eggcessive]

I believe Michael just tried the Rooster Booster wormer--I'm not sure how he likes it. For worming you can't beat Safeguard equine paste at $8 or the liquid got wormer for $19--it gets most of the same worms as Valbazen except tapes which are rare. I only paid $39 for my Valbazen Southern States, and it's $39-42 online, but online shipping can be pricey. Below is the RB vitamins/lytes/robiotics that I have used:
http://www.kvsupply.com/valbazen-suspension-16-ounces?gclid=CPiwiv2nz74CFYlFMgod5TcAnA
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=15046&source=GA-PLA01015046

 

[cmccindy]

No one around here carries the safeguard, tried to find that last week. The Rooster Booster would cover several bases at once, provided it is good.

We have pretty much stuck to keeping things clean, layer crumbles, Apple cider vinegar in their water, Diatomaceous earth in their food and coop and Oyster shell. We offer Worms, Scratch and kitchen and garden scraps for treats. Up until now we thought everything was fine. I had no idea it was recommended to worm every year. The one thing that stands out is that we introduced four new girls to our coop in the fall and two new girls this spring, including the BO we brought with us when we moved in October, that is 7 chickens that have all had to deal with a new environment and new roommates. I think that is where we got in trouble. We have also started questioning the deep litter method in our coop. I guess I am not only trying to figure out what is wrong now, but also what we did wrong that may have started this.