Hen down 3 weeks Coccidiosis??

[DeaBea]

I have been treating my frizzle Cochin hen inside my house for 3 weeks now. Every month I lose a bird, I find them laying down, weak and very thin, can’t stand. It’s very sudden as I usually see my birds every other day. If It’s not too late, I bring them in and start treating them with Corrid and then, of course the whole flock gets it in their water. The sick bird may do better briefly but then end they die, it just takes weeks. The vet does a fecal and tells me they are full of Coccidiosis, it’s in the ground, need to relocate. I can’t move my cool and run. This hen has had 5 days of corrid directly in her mouth and then I switched to Di-Methox I the water for 5 days (did this for the outside birds too). Now it’s been another week of me giving Red Cell directly in her mouth, to build back her vitamins, specifically b-12. She eats great and scrambles around a little, poop is normal looking. So WHY?? Is she still not standing sitting up or walking? Just lays on her side. Tired of this. Suggestions would be helpful if you read this far..

 

[Chickassan]

Could possibly be Marek's with the Coccidiosis weakening the immune system so the virus can grab hold.
I really hope i'm not right.
Can they stand at all or are the legs paralyzed?

 

[DeaBea]

She can move her legs and has good strength in both- as for the flock, I’m watching for any signs and may go several weeks before another bird lays down

 

[Eggcessive]

It is time to get a diagnosis by sending the next bird into your state vet for a necropsy. Usually, they can tell with the necropsy, but they can also do further testing if you wish to confirm it. The body must be refrigerated and taken or shipped overnight.

Do they have plenty of grass to get out on for most of the year, or are they confined to a coop and run most of the time? What do poops look like? I would also be suspicious of Mareks disease as a possibility. Sorry for your loss.

You don’t have your location in your profile, but here is a list of state vets and poultry labs in the US:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[DeaBea]

Thank you for the input- I do need more investigation than I can get locally.

 

[dawg53]

It's not marek's. The soil is contaminated with coccidia.
There's also the possibility of Corid resistance in which the Di-Methox should work against certain poultry cocci strains. I know Di-Methox is less stressful on the chickens system than Sulmet which has been removed off the market.

Since you cant move coops, you'll have to make other changes.
Soil: Cover the contaminated soil with a thick layer of sand. Sand helps keep everything dry. It doesnt wash away or cause nasty mud puddles that chickens love to drink from. It also dries quickly after it rains. It is also easier to scoop poop.

Speaking of poop, you're going to have to scoop it up and remove and dispose of it more frequently, probably 4 or 5 times a day. It is the source of your soil contamination.

Each and every morning remove poop from inside the coops/nests boxes and the contaminated litter it sits on, and dispose of it.
You can sanitize the inside of coops after a full blown clean out using an ammonia water mixture, not bleach water. Do the same with waterers and feeders, rinse well with fresh clean water. Ensure all feeders and waterers are feces free.
Overcrowding can be a problem, make sure your birds have plenty of space inside your coops.
Remember, keeping everything as dry as possible is imperative when it comes to chicken keeping.

An alternative to raising birds on soil is to raise them on wire. That's your call.