My chickens keep on dying :( One after another

[ten chicks]

As per the enclosed pamphlet it will. And will kill mereks which is why I purchased it in the first place along wil a long list of others.

I cannot find any information on there website or instructions indicating that Virkon will kill Coccidiosis. Virkon is effective on viruses,bacteria and fungi. Coccidiosis is parasitic,and Virkon will not kill parasites. As for claim to kill Marek's,i personally believe this is misleading and i am sceptical on this claim. Birds infected with Marek's can be carriers and shedders for life,therefore virus will always be around.

 

[claremariefield]

R

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Virkon will not be effective killing coccidia. Neither will bleach or soaps. I have researched a lot in the past week since I lost five of my adult hens to this. I was hoping to make my run safer for my flock. Based on what I have read, only flame (or prolonged exposure to steam) or 10% ammonia solution will actually kill them; and then only on the surface of the area treated. The ammonia will not complete a kill unless exposure is at least 24 hours.

It is in the soil and I really don't think there is a way to prevent them from being exposed to it completely unless they never come into contact with soil or feces. My plan is to do a preventative Corid dosing once or twice per year to keep my flock safe from now on. If you halve the treatment dosage of Corid (2 tsp) you have a preventative dosage.

Incidentally, most of the hens I lost had few symptoms other than a pale comb in a few followed pretty quickly by death. One had a pale comb for a few days, but acted fairly normal otherwise. No bloody stools. Two of the hens I lost had big crops a day or two before they died so perhaps near the end their crops were peripherally affected by the damage done by the coccidiosis. One had post-mortem drainage from her beak and nose and the two I had necropsied had "turbid fluid" in their crops per the vet's report.
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Thank you for the info. This has confirmed my suspicions that this is what I have. I'm wondering whether to use sand in my new run. Perhaps then the chickens won't be as exposed to the soil and it'll be easier to keep clean. Does anyone have any experience with using sand? It seems to be highly thought of on here.

 

[sdm111]

Ok

 

[tmlpike]

GOOD NEWS GUYS!!! I'm not trying to get my hopes up...but I can't help it! When I went to check on Gobbles yesterday, she was not in the corner of the chicken house like she usually was. She was walking around with the other girls, balking away. She pushed against my leg to let her outside, so I did. And she started eating grass!! Before she wasn't eating ANYTHING, and she lost A LOT of weight.

A few days ago, I regurgitated her. It was very risky, because I didn't want to get the fluid in her lungs. This was the first time I've ever done this. She threw up a yellowish fluid that was hot, and smelled bad. I did it a few times over a 2 day period. Her crop is no longer the size of a large water balloon. It has decreased in size, and she is walking around with her eyes open, and her comb has perked up.

However, this is what scares me...the first chicken who had this "sickness" recovered!!! I was totally shocked. But within 5 days, she showed her previous symptoms and died within a few days.

I would like to thank everyone for your help!!! It means so much to have so many supportive people.

God works miracles, and I sure hope this is one of them <3

 

[claremariefield]

tmlpike that's really good news. Out of interest, how did you regurgitate her? Hope she stays healthy, although I must admit, I did have one of my chickens recover, only to get sick again and die about a week later. At least you know you've done your best for her and she is happy again now!

 

[tmlpike]

I watched this youtube video and it helped me out a bit:

I didn't do it for long periods at a time, because i don't think it's good for them. And I did it only twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. She threw up 3 times in total. I gave her a break while I was doing it, put her down on the grass.

It is very scary doing it, and if I didn't have to, I most definitely wouldn't. I have heard that if it's not done properly, some of the fluid could go in their lungs and kill them. Especially since it was my first time doing it, and I'm only a teenager, I was terrified. But it was her only chance of survival. When she was throwing up, she went crazy!! She shook her head around, and some of the liquid got on me (it was gross). It was also a very hot fluid. So I had to put her down and try it again a while later. She made burping sounds, and looked like she was gasping for air, which is why it's so important to not do it for long periods of time.

She's doing very well! But it took a couple of days after I regurgitated her. She has still lost a lot of weight. She's eating now though. I'm going to have to keep praying. Thanks for the support!

I wish you best of luck! Sorry, I'm no expert. I'm young, and still learning myself

 

[casportpony]

You really should find out what's caused her to lose so much weight, that's probably also what's causing the crop problems.

-Kathy

 

[tmlpike]

When she was "sick", she stopped eating entirely. She drank excessively and then stopped drinking too. When I tossed her a piece of bread, and she bent down to eat it, but liquid poured out of her mouth, so she didn't even try to eat it. That is why she is so light, because she hasn't ate anything for a while. I hope that's the only reason. But thank you very much Kathy, you have been a very big help.

Heidi

 

[casportpony]

You started this thread, right? Don't you want to know why your chickens keep getting sick? I don't mean to sound rude, but I would want to know if there was anything I could do for the ones still alive.

-Kathy

 

[tmlpike]

Of course I want to now why my chickens are getting sick. I know plenty of their symptoms. Unfortunately, they're technically not "my" chickens, but my parents, and they make the decisions. If I could, I would send one of my chickens away to a lab to be positive what the sickness is that they have. The problem?? The cost is anywhere from 220-330 $. And that's only for the diagnosis. I have been trying to do everything possible to help the chickens. I have never ever experienced with any medications or anything and I have no idea where to purchase anything to help the chickens. And, since I'm not 100% positive what the sickness it, what would happen if I treated them for a sickness that was different than the actually. Would it harm them?? I DO want to know why my chickens are getting sick, which is why I asked this question in the first place. That's why I need as many opinions as possible. The problem is... I don't know what to do