Is Medicating Pullets an Ongoing Ritual or Only If Needed Basis (long)

SussexInSeattle

Songster
11 Years
Oct 6, 2008
448
13
136
Washington
Hi, I have 1 pullet from 3-08, 2 from 5-08 and 7 chicks from 9-08.

The new ones came with brown runny stinking poop and I eventually wondered if that could have been coccidiosis or could it be stress poo but read someone's site that said they used 1 TBS vinegar to a quart of water and this could bring about a cure. I did this with the 7 chicks and things improved to white with gray poo for the most part but still an occasional brown-runny-stinky.

It seemed everybody had the nice poo for a while and everybody would occasionally have the bad poo again. Of course they are on medicated chick starter also.

So my question is this; do I need to buy the medication for the water if I am unsure if it is coccidiosis, for like an insurance, is there other things I should be purchasing since I have increased my numbers from small and healthy to 10 and questionable health? Should I buy duster stuff for if there is lice or would I be able to see lice? Ultimately the question is do I do the medications as a matter of course and do it regardless like a safeguard or should I only ever medicate if I have a definate sick bird? (like they do wormings on horses no matter what every 6 or 8 weeks) Also is Sevin Dust anything to consider using or would that be wrong?

Everybody in the flock eats like pigs, have pretty feathers and free range in my entire yard all day as they were really doing a number on the grass in their pen.
 
If they are all running around, happy, eating like normal, no need to medicate for anything. Cocci = lethargic skinny not-eating chicks.

I've had birds up in Everett 10+ years now. I've only medicated with a cocciodistant once in that time when I had a flock of birds get bloody poo because they got exposed to soil too late in life and didn't build up an immunity.

Brown melted poos are normal. It's called cecal poo.
 
Quote:
Are you familiar with cecal poo? I wonder if the occasional brown-runny-stinky is that. Cecal poo (they do it a few times per day) is a totally normal part of chickens' digestive processes and nothing to worry about.

So my question is this; do I need to buy the medication for the water if I am unsure if it is coccidiosis

It does not sound like coccidiosis to me, although, what do I know. It is not hard to determine whether your chickens have coccidiosis, though. All you have to do is take a poo sample to a vet who's willing to do a fecal. You do not need a vet who knows thing one about chickens (this is about the only thing where that's the case, and very handy it is too) -- pretty much all animals get coccidiosis (their own, species-specific types) and thus ANY vet can examine ANY poo and tell ya whether there's coccidia being shed. Of course not all vets may be *willing* to, but call around, you'll find one. Shouldn't be too expensive, especially if you can get your regular cat/dog/horse type vet to do it (if you already are a client, they're more likely to do weird things for you like examine anonymous chicken droppings)

Medicating without knowing what the problem is, is unlikely to help, and can actually hurt.

Good luck,

Pat​
 
OK well this is a new one on me, WTH is Cecal poo and why, oh why, do they do that?!?!?

My first experience of being pooped on happened by my oldest when she was overhead in the rafters and it also was that nasty brown runny stuff and I thought at that time that she was trying to tell me that I had infected her with these bratty little chicks. Also that turd stunk to high heaven, thank God it landed on my jacket hood, nothing a gallon of bleach and a good washing machine couldn't cure! So the insane stink made me really start to wonder if it was coccidiosis.

And yes I have seen it before, about 15 years ago in a Boston Terrier pup. Seemed like that smell could gag a maggot. The projectile vomiting wasn't pretty either.
 
You mentioned putting vinegar in their water. Did you use apple cider vinegar? You don't want to use regular vinegar. Also, make sure to use vinegar only in plastic waterers.

I also wanted to mention that stool consistency does change depending on food consumption, treats, etc. I think what most worry about is really nothing.

Jody
 
Here's a handy dandy little guide to chicken poo (w/pics yeah!
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) and what's normal and what's not:



http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=17568
 

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