How do I get this under control?

[Lilfrogjr]

Okay, first we had Miss Belle come down with something. We did loose her. Tried antibiotics and nursing her back to health, we were too late. She did show a few symptoms, then RAPIDLY decreased. We are new to having chickens. So this is a learning process, and we want to do everything we can to get this under control and have happy, healthy girls. Now two of our other girls are starting with the first symptom we saw with Belle. They keep one of their eyes closed. They are both able to open their one eye but keep it closed. No ooze or gunk , just closed eye. The are all eating and drinking good. We keep a clean coop and pen, fresh water and food. Kitchen scraps for treats. We just started putting acv in the water about a week ago. Since yesterday, with Penny (cochin) and one of our Easter eggers (not named yet) showing the issue with the eye, this morning I put antibiotics in the water. Please tell me if I should be doing more......................

 

[foreverlearning]

I am sorry for your loss.
We need to know more about the symptoms your first girl had to know what we are looking for to help. Without knowing anything so far, I would first check their vents for louse or mite bites. There are a lot of things that present with lethargy, but those are the two most important to check first. Also, have you checked their poop? You would need to know if it was normal, runny, smelt different from a normal distance, or if you see anything like worms in it. Look really good in and around their area to see if there is anything they could have gotten into. Have you introduced anyone new to your flock lately? How long from first symptom to loss?
Quarantine the girls with the problems for safety.

 

[ten chicks]

Okay, first we had Miss Belle come down with something. We did loose her. Tried antibiotics and nursing her back to health, we were too late. She did show a few symptoms, then RAPIDLY decreased. We are new to having chickens. So this is a learning process, and we want to do everything we can to get this under control and have happy, healthy girls. Now two of our other girls are starting with the first symptom we saw with Belle. They keep one of their eyes closed. They are both able to open their one eye but keep it closed. No ooze or gunk , just closed eye. The are all eating and drinking good. We keep a clean coop and pen, fresh water and food. Kitchen scraps for treats. We just started putting acv in the water about a week ago. Since yesterday, with Penny (cochin) and one of our Easter eggers (not named yet) showing the issue with the eye, this morning I put antibiotics in the water. Please tell me if I should be doing more......................

Look up information for Coccidiosis. Some symptoms are runny/watery poop(may or may not contain blood,depends on which of the 9 strains is its)fluffed feathers,lethargic,not eating/drinking properly,weight loss,general look of unwell. If symptoms match purchase Corid(amprolium)dose for Corid 9.6% liquid is 2 tsp per gallon of water,dose for Corid 20% powder is 3/4 tsp per gallon of water. Treat ALL chickens for 5 days,do no give vitamins during treatment,interferes with the ability of medication to work.

 

[Lilfrogjr]

Their poop is normal, no worms. She was "sitting" a lot (thought maybe egg bound). Then she was keeping one eye closed, no "gunk". Still eating and drinking normal the whole time. Then we noticed she wouldn't perch one night, then weak and we had separated her (cage on back porch) gave antibiotics in water, and yogurt and scrambled eggs...... We had 4 girls from a friend, then got 5 more. Belle was showing symptoms before the new 5 came home...........

 

[foreverlearning]

Start with giving them a good dusting of poultry dust all over them and both coop areas, then start treating with Corid. That will take care of the most common problems presenting with the symptoms listed. Because she doesn't want to roost, you want to check the roosting spots with a flashlight at night for fowl mites. They only come out at night and hide in the wood cracks during the day, but they will drain a chicken quickly. Was the coop used before this flock or did you build/buy it for this flock?

 

[Lilfrogjr]

My husband did the dusting thing.... We used poultry dust from Tractor Supply in the coop, pen and on the girls. We built the coop out of pallets given to us from a friend and chicken wire. I think Belle didn't roost that night because she was weak.......And the antibiotic we are using is Duramycin 10 also bought from Tractor Supply. They were out of Corid. All of the stores local to us are out of Corid. I put the duramycin in their water this morning.

 

[Lilfrogjr]

I am driving to a town an hour away first thing tomorrow morning to purchase Corid. It was the closest store with it available. A lady there is holding it for me...... Everything I have seen on the internet says duramycin 10 won't treat the coccidiosis (not sure that's what we are dealing with) No I do not believe everything I read on the web, so is it worth the hour drive there and hour back? Is it better to give Corid instead of the duramycin even if it isn't coccidiosis? Does Corid treat multiple things? How long do I give it to the girls? So many questions..............

 

[foreverlearning]

I have never tried this treatment as I haven't had a problem with Coccidiosis, however I came across it while researching. It can't hurt as it will give nutrients that the body needs to heal anyway. It is for people that can't get Corid:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/186479/milk-flush-for-coccidiosis
I would try it to help get your girls back to normal even if Coccidiosis is not your problem.
Good Luck!

 

[foreverlearning]

From www.corid.com:

How CORID works
Structurally, CORID mimics thiamin (Vitamin B1) which is required by coccidia for normal growth and reproduction. When coccidia ingest CORID, they experience thiamin deficiency and starve from malnutrition. CORID has been experimentally administered at many times the recommended dosage and duration with no signs of toxicity.
When CORID works
CORID stops coccidia at a critical stage in the host animal's small intestine to prevent more damaging coccidiosis in the large intestine. By acting on the young asexual stages of the coccidia life cycle, CORID allows exposure to first-generation schizonts, so the host animal can develop natural immunity to coccidia. This makes CORID effective as a preventive therapy.

 

[Lilfrogjr]

So is the eye thing a symptom of the coccidiosis? I went and checked on the girls again and the same two still have the one eye closed. Penny's looked a little red around the eye, irritated maybe? Does Corid treat any other illnesses other than the coccidiosis?