I think my chick has Coccidiosis. HELP please!

[Landon1117]

I just today purchased a Polish chick, 3-weeks old, from a local breeder along with some other chicks. Immediately, I noticed that the chicks had watery droppings, and must not have been kept in very safe conditions. My Polish chick seems to be showing the only real symptoms of being sick. She's very lethargic, and barely walks at all before falling down, almost as if she can't walk at all. Her droppings are very watery, sometimes just water, and she has a huge lump on the front of her chest that I've never seen on a chick before. Her feathers are also very raggedy. Is this Coccidiosis, and if so, what should I do to try to help her? Will she infect my other chicks?

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Could the lump on her chest be her crop? If you feel it, is it hard (impacted) or soft and squishy?

Coccidiosis usually shows blood in the stools. Don't think that is the problem. Was it hot in your area? Is she drinking? She may be dehydrated. Do you have any electrolytes for chicks?

 

[Glenda Heywoodo]

Well as large as the chick is I would say she has IMPACTED CROP
Here is the method to help her get over it.

Glenda L Heywood
IMPACTED CROP DO'S AND DON'TS
FOR CHICKENS AND PIGEONS

When a chicken obtains a large crop.
This is generally in the summer time, when much grass is around, or in the winter time when the birds are fed whole kernel corn.
with grass it is likely to become wound up in a ball too large to go thru the opening in the crop.
With whole kernel corn it is likely to be to large to go thru the crop.
The corn issue or grain issue will occur in pigeons also.

So many chickens eat till they are stuffed. The very day you notice the crop being large and hard or sqissy do this immediately.
NOTE THIS if after you do the flush there is no change then go and do the surgery. Simply because the longer the bird is in pain from the blockage and nothing getting into the stomach for food it is closing the days for surviva.l.

Here is my advise as it should be done immediately and that is to use the oil and massage. I mention this so that every one reading my article will have the way to

MASSAGE THE CROP WITH OIL
Take and use two eye droppers of mineral or olive oil inther morning and two at nite. Do this for 3 days and see if the crop material ever ever moves.
When using oli massage the crop to get the oil involved in the impactation.
Also the oil will make some of it either go thru or maybe disolve some of the hardness.
Get her on the milk and bread only. Do not over do it, but only feed her twice a day 1 slice of bread and milk, and yoguart.

CROP FLUSH WITH SODA WATER
basically you got to FLUSH her literally with
soda water
1/2 cup baking soda
i pint warm water mix good
and using CHILD'S EAR SYRINGE ( as it has a small narrow tube on it for insertion into the back of the throat to the right side, so as not to strangle the bird)childs ear syringe to fill the crop

Fill the syringe with the soda water mixture and insert the syringe into the back of the throat as denoted above.
Have the bird (either chicken or pigeon) on a table in front of you.
Then come up from under neath the crop on the breast with your hand and fingers tightly pushing
and push hard to make the sour material come out come out the mouth. Your force has to push the sour material out as chickens or pigeons do not throw up.

DO NOT HOLD BIRD UPSIDE DOWN
The bird will open her mouth BUT do not hold her upside down but straight looking at you, looking into her face.

Do this flushing at least three times at this time. Seeing if the crop is still hard or full?
If she is not full or hard crop Then take and put her in a cage alone for a week. Do not feed her for 24 hrs.
Then the next day do this, if she has not hard crop.
take slice of bread
put 1/4 cup yoguart
1/2 cup milk
and put in plastic feeder so she can drink the yoguart and milk.
Do this twice daily for the week. she should get good gut flora back and be okay.

If the bird has hard crop or definitly fuller than normal do the surgery right then.


CROP FLUSH
I would do the crop flush immediately and then if the crop was still hard do the surgery. I have don many young and old powder Pigeons this crop surgery. It is easily done and all you need is a table and some one to hold the bird. I have done it by my self but I was very self sufficient in the proceedure.

IMPACTED CROP SURGERY
Items needed
alcohol wipes
also alcohol in small dish
pint of soda water for cleaning empty crop with
DO NOT use peroxide as it destroys new skin growth
razor blade with tape on one side
pure iodine liquid
strong thread (may use light fishing string clean)
large clean needle (put in alcohol before using)

If the bird still has a hard crop by the next day It will need crop surgery
It is a large kernel of grain or a wound up grass plug she has a blocked crop - or is crop bound.

CROP SURGERY
So you may have to do surgery. You will have to get some one to help you and Then you have to pluck the feathers off the crop area in the front a couple inches long strip down the crop area. With alcohol wipes wipe the skin area to be cut on.

With a sharp new razor blade that has tape over the back half of the blade leaving a cutting blade, you got to cut the crop area ( there are two sets of skin, outer skin and crop skin) thru.

CLEAN OUT THE CROP
So you see the hard bound material she is plugged with. Now clean out the crop with with warm soda water.
When crop is clean then flush that area with Iodine.
Now you need a sterile darning needle and heavy thread.
Take and sterilize the needle in alcohol.
Now take and put the two areas of the crop flesh ( both sections at one time) together and over stich it bak up.

THE STICHEDFLESH TREATMENT
Now put iodine on this Stiched flesh and daily you got to put the iodine on the wound.
The bird will heal back up in about three weeks, with your caring for it daily with fresh iodine,until she is healed
For at least 10 days only feed her water with aureomycin 1/4 tsp per qt of water daily.

Also the feed is this FOR 10 DAYS
1 Slice of brown bread soaked with 1/4 cup yoguart and 1/2 cup milk
feed in plastic feeder so she drinks the yoguart and milk. Feed this twice a day.

It will be good for the gut and also allow the soft feed to go thru the crop and not tear it open. The bird may be able to eat three slices of bread with milk and yoguart a day after first few days. This is good to establish good gut flora again in the birds gut. This helps the birds healing problem.

Now don't throw out this till she eats it for the twice a day.
As the sour milk will not hurt her.
But throw out what is left over once a day and clean feeder and restock
this mixture the next day.

Print this off so you can take it to the barn with you.
By the way that is why I never fed my chickens grass. Maybe she had a large kernel of grain ahead of that. I know it is crop bound.
She will not be able to have grains or grass from now on.
As for a while it may catch again and then have to do surgery. One lady I know had to do two or three surgeries as the hen ate cigerette filters. She then had to clean the yard of the filters.
lenda L Heywoo Cassvill isoui

 

[rebrascora]

Hi Glenda
Thanks for your input on this. There were several really good tips there.
Having done crop twice in the past few months, I would like to add a few tips of my own if you don't mind.....

Firstly, I think it is best to operate with the chicken held in an upright position. The first time the chicken was held on her side and during the incision part of the surgery, she struggled and refluxed and then aspirated some of the gunky fluid. Being held upright prevents that.... I was incredibly lucky that after several days post surgery of wheezing and ruttling, she recovered.

I find that making a small half inch incision quite high up in the crop means that there is less likelihood of seepage after closure and the wound is further from the ground where infection is more likely. A pair of sterilized tweezers were ideal for teasing the fibrous material out.

I flush with sterile saline solution. I'm not sure I would want that much iodine in the digestive tract.

Closure of the crop with super glue works brilliantly and is much quicker and less traumatic than stitching.


I leave the outer skin open, so that if there is any seepage from the crop afterwards it can drain out. I just pack the external wound with antiseptic cream and leave it to heal naturally.

Regards

Barbara

 

[Landon1117]

Could the lump on her chest be her crop? If you feel it, is it hard (impacted) or soft and squishy?

Coccidiosis usually shows blood in the stools. Don't think that is the problem. Was it hot in your area? Is she drinking? She may be dehydrated. Do you have any electrolytes for chicks?

The lump on the front of her feels squishy, and she's been drinking. She seems to be less swelled this morning and a little more active, which makes me really happy, but I'll probably to the procedures that you both offered for a crop impacted chick, and hopefully this helps her. Thank you so much!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

The lump on the front of her feels squishy, and she's been drinking. She seems to be less swelled this morning and a little more active, which makes me really happy, but I'll probably to the procedures that you both offered for a crop impacted chick, and hopefully this helps her. Thank you so much!

Keep her hydrated, with added electrolytes if possible. First thing in the morning, the crop should be empty. Gentle massage with veggie oil , several times a day, usually does the trick for impactions. A bit of plain yogurt (with active cultures) or chick probiotics in the water will help restore the health of the digestive tract. Hope you chick recovers fully. Please keep us posted.

 

[Landon1117]

I did what you told me, and I came back this morning to find the lump completely gone. She seems to have made a full recovery and is no longer lethargic. Thank you all so much!