Lavender Ameraucana Breeders .... UNITE

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: If you have more than one, I would start them on Corid or Sulmet. The medicated feed is supposed to slow the Cocci down enough for the bird to build resistance, but it doesn't always work that way if they get an overload. One bird might be failure to thrive - more than one bird = medicate!

You may not always see bloody poop until it is too late. If they are hunched up and sluggish they are cold. They are cold because they are bleeding internally from the worms pulling out of their intestinal lining. Get the medication started as soon as you see hunched up birdies - that way they have the best chance to deal with the already mature worms without having to deal with the ones still maturing...

for all getting better!

 

[buckabucka]

Thanks so much for the information. I haven't checked the birds yet this morning, but I'm hoping they are still hanging in there. It looks like I'll be off on a Corid search after work. I hope TSC carries it.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Thanks so much for the information. I haven't checked the birds yet this morning, but I'm hoping they are still hanging in there. It looks like I'll be off on a Corid search after work. I hope TSC carries it.

I believe they do. Ask if you can't find it.

 

[Caitlin_VT]

A couple questions - in regards to treating for cocci, do you wait until chicks show symptoms or do you preventatively treat with, say, Corid? Also, at what age do gender differences start to show up? What should I be looking for? My 4 Lavender chicks are almost 3 1/2 weeks old.

 

[ChickNmamma]

A couple questions - in regards to treating for cocci, do you wait until chicks show symptoms or do you preventatively treat with, say, Corid? Also, at what age do gender differences start to show up? What should I be looking for? My 4 Lavender chicks are almost 3 1/2 weeks old.

Many people feed medicated feed and then treat if the birds show symptoms (overload). Signs are puffed up sluggish birds when the rest are perfectly comfortable running around. Also you sometimes see blood in the poops, but sometimes that is too late to treat and you will loose that bird - so watch them. With a brooder situation you will sometimes not see it until the chicks have a "day outside" where the other chickens go.

I would not treat with Corid if they show no symptoms - as it blocks niacin absorption and can lead to curled toes and other structural anomalies.

I have recently changed what I do with the chicks because of the curled toes, etc.. I feed flock starter to the chicks (un-medicated) and only treat them if and when they show signs. I also expose them to the cocci early, like 3 days old (while their natural immunities are still building) by putting a chunk of turf with grass from where my chickens roam.. My mother has broody raised babies, and she has never had signs of cocci in her flock, they all build up their immunities to it when they are really young. I did this with my Lavenders and they are huge and healthy - no signs of cocci. I will be watching them closely this week and the next though - some people also say it hits badly at 8 weeks.. I have Corid and Sulmet if I need them.

My birds are almost 8 weeks old and I am still not sure who is who.. I feather sexed at 3 days old and showed 3 male and 5 females. I banded them. Now I am wondering if I have 3 females and 5 males...

but it doesn't match backwards from my early guesses either.. so only time will tell.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Agreed- don't treat them unless they show symptoms. I don't use medicated fed unless its all I can get to get me though a day or two. Most of the time I use the un-medicated Flock Raiser too. I have to brood new ducklings with chicks on occasion, so it works out well.( until the chicks start getting crusty and the ducks move outside)

If you can see 3 rows of peas in the comb then you are looking at a boy. Sometimes I can see it at a few days, other times not for several weeks.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Agreed- don't treat them unless they show symptoms. I don't use medicated fed unless its all I can get to get me though a day or two. Most of the time I use the un-medicated Flock Raiser too. I have to brood new ducklings with chicks on occasion, so it works out well.( until the chicks start getting crusty and the ducks move outside)

If you can see 3 rows of peas in the comb then you are looking at a boy. Sometimes I can see it at a few days, other times not for several weeks.

At 8 weeks do the girls and boys have three rows?

 

[Goose and Fig]

No. The comb has been so bred down on the girls that they almost like like a tiny straight comb. If you can see 3 distinct rows of pink peas, they are boys. At least with mine. That's the one thing I love about the wheatens- there is never any doubt!

 

[ChickNmamma]

No. The comb has been so bred down on the girls that they almost like like a tiny straight comb. If you can see 3 distinct rows of pink peas, they are boys. At least with mine. That's the one thing I love about the wheatens- there is never any doubt!

These are Lavenders.. is there a difference?

 

[Goose and Fig]

Wheatens are "color coded"