Help! Loose poops, dead chicken

[jhen13]

I have a flock of hens anywhere from 5 to 1 year in age. I've found 2 dead in the past month. No sign of physical injury.

There is no entry for outside birds, run has roof over top. Chickens have not been free ranging in the past 2 months. I did have thick vinyl over the screen windows to keep cold michigan draft out. I removed one side incase it's a ventilation issue.

I'm finding some stool that is rather liquid throughout the run, pictures attached. I started treatment with corrid yesterday, but didn't know if that was the best way to go or if it may be something else. No respiratory symptoms noticed.

Looking for advice on what may be going on here.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you take a sample of poop to a vet and have them perform a fecal float to see if worms are part of the problem?

How many birds in how much space? Sqft of coop and run? Photos may be helpful.

What do you feed, including treats?

Corid won't hurt them, it's a Coccidiostat, so if finish the course of treatment. It's not unheard of for healthy adult birds to succumb to Coccidiosis, but it's not that common.

If you still have the body of the one that just died, then getting a necropsy will give you the most information. You can send the body to your state lab.

https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...TydCKaOSJ21K8kxO4Xzh4vLLgCMGoAgtnBS8nkLbeUS2c

 

[jhen13]

Can you take a sample of poop to a vet and have them perform a fecal float to see if worms are part of the problem?

How many birds in how much space? Sqft of coop and run? Photos may be helpful.

What do you feed, including treats?

Corid won't hurt them, it's a Coccidiostat, so if finish the course of treatment. It's not unheard of for healthy adult birds to succumb to Coccidiosis, but it's not that common.

If you still have the body of the one that just died, then getting a necropsy will give you the most information. You can send the body to your state lab.

https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...TydCKaOSJ21K8kxO4Xzh4vLLgCMGoAgtnBS8nkLbeUS2c

I have 112 sqft run with a 36 sqft coop. I had 12 hens in there, now down to 10. There are 8x3 openings on 2 sides of the run and 6x4 on the front. I had tried to weatherproof these openings with marine grade vinyl this year, hoping to be able to reuse them in the coming years. I think this impeded the ventilation, especially now that it is starting to warm up. I found that if I spent too much time in there, it hurt my lungs. I took one panel down, and it seems much better. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that I need to adjust my weatherproofing for next winter.

I feed Kalmbach 17% layer pellets, mostly. They get produce before it spoils occasionally. Recently, they had celery, cilantro, and grapes. They have grit and oyster shells available.

I'd have to do some research on vets around here that will do chickens, I usually try to do all treatments myself.

I am thinking about doing a Safegaurd treatment after the Corrid treatment. I know it is done by weight and has to be given directly by mouth. I have never wormed them before.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have 112 sqft run with a 36 sqft coop. I had 12 hens in there, now down to 10. There are 8x3 openings on 2 sides of the run and 6x4 on the front.

I found that if I spent too much time in there, it hurt my lungs. I took one panel down, and it seems much better. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that I need to adjust my weatherproofing for next winter.

If it hurts your lungs, it would hurt theirs too. I'd open up ventilation more, even if it's still a bit cool.
It can be a challenge to block wind and still keep ventilation.


To treat most worms that poultry can have except for Tapeworm you can use Safeguard (Fenbendazole) or Valbazen (Albendazole). Both are given orally by weight; they do not mix well with water.

Safeguard dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days in a row.
---OR---
Valbazen dose is 0.08ml per pound of weight given orally once, then repeated in 10 days

Here's how to give oral medications:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[Sally PB]

It can be a challenge to block wind and still keep ventilation.

I use air filter material over my coop openings. It blocks the wind, but there is still air exchange. It's a spun polyester type material. I staple it up in November and take it down in late April.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I use air filter material over my coop openings. It blocks the wind, but there is still air exchange. It's a spun polyester type material. I staple it up in November and take it down in late April.

Good idea!

 

[jhen13]

I use air filter material over my coop openings. It blocks the wind, but there is still air exchange. It's a spun polyester type material. I staple it up in November and take it down in late April.

Oh, that sounds cool, can you link the product so I can see an example?

 

[jhen13]

Taking down the one side covering seemed to really help things. I finished Corid treatment, gave a day of Poultry Cell, and am now doing a round of tylosin powder. There are some hens still with some loose poops and some head shaking. But all the ladies perked up significantly after increasing the airflow to the coop.

It's hard to learn the hard way.

 

[Sally PB]

Oh, that sounds cool, can you link the product so I can see an example?

Something like this:
air filter material