I think my new Chicks may have coccidia

[witczakchicks]

We adopted 3 chicks from a feed store on Sunday. One of the smaller chicks seemed a bit more lethargic a couple of days ago and we have been watching her closely. Yesterday, my daughter noticed an orange tinge and what looked like blood streaks in her stool. We were advised by her friend who raises chickens in FFA, that we should isolate that chick and start it on antibiotics to treat for coccidia. We isolated her in an 20 gallon aquarium and I used a heating pad against the outside of the aquarium. I also put a rice sock in the aquarium that I covered with cloth so it doesn't get too hot. Luckily I had a extra feeder and an extra water-er. She peeped a lot through the night because she missed her sisters- I don't think she was cold. She is eating and drinking and seems perky. This all happened late last night. I plan to run down to a feed store today to purchase medication. The other two chicks seem to be doing very well, however one of them had a runnier orange mucous stool this morning. The isolated chick has had numerous (7-8) solid normal looking stools this morning. I am wondering if I should just put her back in with the other girls since she seems to be missing them a ton and since they were together for their first 3 days here and they are probably already exposed if she has anything? I have had them on medicated chick feed and chick grit since bringing them home. Should I put them back together and treat them all for coccidia? And of so, is it okay to treat them and keep them on the medicated feed? or should I change the feed? I work at a vet clinic. I am off today, but I could take a fecal sample down and run and float and smear under the microscope to see if there are any cocci rods. I"m just trying to decide if I should treat them all as a precaution. Does anyone have any experience or advice they can give me about this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[bucky52]

i have ten 6 week olds.i'am in the process of treating all of them for cocci.i had one that i suspected that had cocci.she would not eat just stood around with her feathers all puffed up as if she was cold.i found blood on the poop board.which one left it i 'am not sure.but to be on
the safe side i'am treating them all.i have been doing lots of research on cocci.if one has it all of them will.it is fatal.but i think i caught mine
in time my little girl is eating and moving around and flapping her wings.(i call it a she because she tucks her head under her wing when she sleeps)i am using corid.

 

[speckledhen]

First of all, coccidia is not a bacteria. You don't need an antibiotic. You need an anti-protozoan, a thiamine blocker like concentrated amprolium (Corid, Cocci-Rid, etc). Medicated feed won't prevent cocci, which is actually very common and very treatable. Some folks use Sulmet, a sulfa drug, but it can wreak more havoc on the intestines and Corid is the preferred way to go against cocci.

And she doesn't have to be separated, either. If she has it, they all do. You must treat them all at the same time. She just may be more affected in her intestines than the others at this point. Some are weaker in the face of oocysts that cause it.

 

[dawg53]

Speckledhen is correct.
Go to the feed store and buy Corid 9.6% liquid solution in the cattle section. Give it to all your chicks. Dosage is 9.5cc's per gallon of water for 5-7 days. Make a fresh batch daily. Put the mixture in their waterer with no other additives, it must be their sole source of water to drink. Time is of importance.