My chicken is dying

[EggSighted4Life]

I would go get corid and treat the rest since they have been exposed.

To be clear... coccidia, as far as I know are found in EVERY single chicken poo and all are exposed from day 1. It is only an issue when they have ingested too many sporulated oocysts (eggs). Then their immune systems are over run.

Blood in the stool is a sign that it's worse than you would hope. The intestines are under attack and the lesions created are bleeding. If too bad... that portion of the intestine *may* become necrotic (dead), and never able to absorb nutrients in the future.

Some birds will have stronger immune systems and fight things off better. So they may not be showing the signs. But yes, it is true they will hide things as well as possible in order to avoid being preyed on first... or even by their own flock sometimes.

There have been PLENTY of times I wish I had acted sooner! Don't beat yourself up... it won't change things or help. Just use this as a lesson going forward to do the best you can... and if if you THINK something is off, you are probably right... so ACT on it.

It is true that Corid is safe to use on all chicks even if they aren't showing signs. It's important NOT to supplement vitamins during this time because it works by blocking thiamine (a B vitamin) to starve out and SLOW the growth of the coccidia while the chickens immune system build MORE resistance.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Also many chickens with coccidiosis or other illness, and even some broody hens, can have puffy crops. Not always sour crop symptoms.
Sour crop would be ususual in an 8 week old pullet. Coccidiosis is very common.

Hmmm... I noticed this in a broody, and did find myself a bit concerned. It's amazing that even after 9+ years of keeping chickens it is a non stop learning curve. Crop feel is high on my list right now.

I did recently lose my first to cocci... after a bulb outage that I crowded a couple groups of chicks together... and had to be gone for a whole day so water wasn't changed 50 times like usual. I usually just provide more space instead of treating since I know the cause and usually corrects itself... Worthwhile to switch to nipple waterers inside my brooders! Ugh, then I suffered a bout of food poisoning or some sort of gastroenteritis... for more than a week... just to let me know how terrible their guts are being wrenched too... Truth is I have Corid on hand... but couldn't find it. I too will do better next time!

 

[dotporter]

To be clear... coccidia, as far as I know are found in EVERY single chicken poo and all are exposed from day 1.

Flocks which are already exposed will pass immunity on to new babies. So there are flocks which are all infected.

It's birds which have never been exposed to coccidia which will become ill. So, hatchery birds are prime candidates for falling victim to it.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Flocks which are already exposed will pass immunity on to new babies. So there are flocks which are all infected.

It's birds which have never been exposed to coccidia which will become ill. So, hatchery birds are prime candidates for falling victim to it.

I disagree completely... chicks coming from hatchery will be coming with their own coccidia in tact... otherwise how is that brooder chicks fall ill to it all the time, having NEVER been exposed to another bird?

It isn't exposure that make them ill... it is blooms out of control causing OVER exposure that makes them ill. This is often created by US over crowding them. On occasion can be a problem on pasture or due to weather conditions... but almost ALWAYS IMO... stock density related.

ETA: do you happen to have links that show what immunities are passed on to the embryos? I love learning relevant things!

 

[bobbi-j]

I wish I acted faster.. just couldn't figure out how to treat her. Thank you

Keeping chickens has a steep learning curve. Sometimes - no matter how hard you try - you are going to lose birds. It's the unfortunate part of having them. Don't beat yourself up. You did the best you could. Call this a learning experience and know what to try next time.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Here's some of her symptoms:
• hunched over.
• lethargic.
• droopy tail and wings, which are also very raggedy.
• her neck keeps spasming.
• very stinky and runny poo.
• very light and skinny.

Blood is coming out of her now. I have gave her corid via syringe, but I don't think she's going to make it. She won't open her eyes.

@Littledid did you lose your girl?
I agree with @Eggcessive treating her for Coccidiosis is the right thing to do.

Blood in the stool is a sign that it's worse than you would hope. The intestines are under attack and the lesions created are bleeding. If too bad... that portion of the intestine *may* become necrotic (dead), and never able to absorb nutrients in the future.

Coccidiosis is caused by an overload of Coccidia protazoa - the family Eimeriidae. There are 9 strains that affect chickens in that family. The "bloody" type E. Tenella and (I believe - do you read it that way too?) E. Necatrix are found in the ceca - basically bloody Coccidiosis comes from the ceca. I do believe if "severe" enough the lesions from the other strains would probably bleed and you would see that too. This is why it can be so confusing to people, not all strains of Coccidia present with blood, so there is a misconception that if you don't see blood birds don't have Coccidiosis overload - you have to look at all the symptoms together. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/coccidiosis/overview-of-coccidiosis-in-poultry

There are other causes of blood in the stool, like Ulcerative Enteritis which is caused by bacterial infection Clostridium perfringens

 

[EggSighted4Life]

There are 9 strains that affect chickens in that family.

I agree it is VERY confusing for a lot of people, including me.

And part of the problem is that information has not been updated. I looked for a publication on that Merck manual, but didn't see it. I have seen another that list of at least 2 more possible strains of coccidia having impact on chickens, from another country. For some reason it isn't popping out for me to find right now and provide links. But my take away is that... Merck is an EXCELLENT resource, however I shouldn't close myself off from new learning... they may not have yet added in.

My brother in love was visiting from New York this past week. He is researcher with his PHD and such for another company. Turns out when they make discoveries, Merck buys them out and takes credit.

I agree 100% that you have to look at ALL the symptoms. And also that a chick has to have bloody or loose stools for a cocci diagnosis is a big misconception. And interestingly (after reading your Merck link again for at least the 50th time, since I am ALWAYS reviewing my understanding).. aside from NOT every poo being bloody when one presents with it... that the oocysts may not not be present in EVERY dropping even from an "infected" bird... Sometimes causing a false negative during a fecal test because they (the cocci oocysts) can pass intermittently.

A quote from the Merck link...
"Coccidia are almost universally present in poultry-raising operations, but clinical disease occurs only after ingestion of relatively large numbers of sporulated oocysts by susceptible birds."

In my heart and head... this case DOES line up with coccidiosis being high on the possibility of suspect causes.

I also agree with eggcessive and Wyorp... and I too WOULD treat the rest for coccidiosis.

 

[dotporter]

I disagree completely... chicks coming from hatchery will be coming with their own coccidia in tact... otherwise how is that brooder chicks fall ill to it all the time, having NEVER been exposed to another bird?


ETA: do you happen to have links that show what immunities are passed on to the embryos? I love learning relevant things!

Sorry, I shouldn't post spontaneously. I love learning too, so I am researching my mistake as I go.

I raise ducks, and apparently the coccidia for ducks is different from chickens. I didn't know coccidia come in so many forms.

The parental immunity through eggs is true though. It's determined by the severity of infection and timing.

http://iai.asm.org/content/62/4/1348.full.pdf Page five and six. It's a really cool study and the rest of the pages are pretty informative as well, but the actual results of immunity transmission are on five and six.

Sorry for any misinformation in my reply otherwise.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sorry, I shouldn't post spontaneously. I love learning too, so I am researching my mistake as I go.

I raise ducks, and apparently the coccidia for ducks is different from chickens. I didn't know coccidia come in so many forms.

The parental immunity through eggs is true though. It's determined by the severity of infection and timing.

http://iai.asm.org/content/62/4/1348.full.pdf Page five and six. It's a really cool study and the rest of the pages are pretty informative as well, but the actual results of immunity transmission are on five and six.

Sorry for any misinformation in my reply otherwise.

Thanks for the link, I will enjoy reading it!

We are ALL here to learn and to share what we learn.

Hope you love being a part of this community as much as I do!

 

[Kat C]

I disagree completely... chicks coming from hatchery will be coming with their own coccidia in tact... otherwise how is that brooder chicks fall ill to it all the time, having NEVER been exposed to another bird?

It isn't exposure that make them ill... it is blooms out of control causing OVER exposure that makes them ill. This is often created by US over crowding them. On occasion can be a problem on pasture or due to weather conditions... but almost ALWAYS IMO... stock density related.

ETA: do you happen to have links that show what immunities are passed on to the embryos? I love learning relevant things!

I have read that baby chicks get immunity by eating some of the broody mommas poop. I can't find a link for it at present. But it would be something like human babies getting immunities from breast milk especially very first milk called collustrum. They also get good bacteria as they move through the birth canal. https://www.mommypotamus.com/bacteria-birth-is-everything-youve-been-told-wrong/ And now some really resistant cases of Clostridium Difficile in humans are being treated with fecal transplants - ie someone healthy donates poop that is instilled into the sick person's colon. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/62/12/1479/1745350 So hatching chicks with mommas may well work like natural child birth and nursing except it works through the poop. We have been propagandized to find poop totally bad, but not so (and it makes good compost).
I can't find any source that says coccidiousus is passed to chicks through the egg so I would say that incubated chicks are free from it but might possibly pick it up at the hatchery despite how little time they spend there before they are shipped "Oocysts may be transmitted by mechanical carriers (eg, equipment, clothing, insects, farm workers, and other animals" https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/coccidiosis/overview-of-coccidiosis-in-poultry