Help! Listless pullet!

[stesha]

Help!
We're new to raising chickens--got our first pullets in mid-July. We got two buff orpingtons and a welsummer. One of the buff orpingtons died about two days after we brought them home--when we called the grange where we got them, they thought it might be coccidiosis. We treated the remaining hens with Amprol in their water for about a month, tapering it to a half dose, then quarter dose, then trying to take them off it completely. The welsummer (who we think is about 6 months old) is hearty, and seems completely healthy. The buff orpington (who we think is about three months) has been behaving listlessly: hunching and holding her tail down, not really foraging in their pen. We've separated the buff and settled her in her own quarantine area, just in case.

Our questions are:
How long should we keep them on the Amprol, without worrying about them getting thrush or other issues?
Is it normal for a pullet to be sick with coccidiosis even at three months?
Is it possible that it's something else? I've attached pics of her recent poop, and her back end, which is a little crusty.
I also noticed that she has a red spot just above her beak, and I'm concerned that might be something to do with her listlessness.
We appreciate any help--thanks!!! PS--I accidentally posted this earlier on the egglaying thread, since I'm a newbie. oops!

 

[aoxa]

She could have worms. I can't imagine why she would have Cocci if she has been on preventative measures, but I may be wrong.

 

[stesha]

Thanks Aoxa. I got some Wazine from our farm supply, but after reading the threads on the forum, I'm worried that it might not be the best approach. Some folks seem to think that it will cause toxic worm overload, because it kills all the worms at once.
I looked through my hen's stool, and didn't see any eggs or worms--she's just acting lethargic, with droopy wings.
Some folks recommend Valbazen, but our local store doesn't carry that. Any thoughts on Wazine vs. Valbazen?
thanks!

 

[stesha]

Well, she didn't make it through the night.

 

[soler]

So sorry

It's very hard to diagnose them, and you really tried your best. Hopefully the welsummer stays strong. You may want to consider having her body necropsied in case she died of something infectious.

 

[leadwolf1]

I do believe that you were battling a particularly bad strain of Coccidia. Necropsies are revealing new strains that aren't being wiped out with Amprolium. I'm so sorry for your loss

Since Coccidiosis attacks the intestinal walls, it makes it hard for the bird to absorb nutrients...that in itself can be deadly.

Amprolium is a vitamin B blocker. Keeping them on a high dose can lead to vitamin deficiency. A low dose would be just like feeding medicated starter. However, in times of high concentration of Coccidia oocysts in the soil, any chicken can be overwhelmed and Coccidiosis becomes a problem. It doesn't matter how old the bird is.

She was exhibiting the symptoms of Coccidiosis. At 12 weeks, I wouldn't expect a worm load bad enough to kill her. If you really want to know what happened, follow the above advice and have a necropsy performed. You can call your local government extension office and locate a state lab that will do one for little to no cost. Sometimes, it is best to know and not just guess at what happened. That way, you won't worry yourself unnecessarily over what happened and if there is a threat to your other birds.

 

[leadwolf1]

I think that Dawg53 recommends Valbazen first, Safeguard second.

Valbazen needs to be ordered online and safeguard can be found at your feed store.

If you want, you could have a fecal exam done by your vet to determine if there is a worm problem in your flock that needs to be addressed. I would collect tiny bits of many different droppings and have that analyized. That will tell you whether or, not your flock needs to be dewormed.