My Cocci Battle...it is ongoing...

[chickenbelle]

Are all of the sick birds from the new flock? The are several different strains of coccidia--every chicken has some in their gut, but a new group coming to your home may get sick because of it being a different strain of cocci. If these are young birds they may need to be on medicated feed (with amprollium, but not if you are treating with corid.) The corid should help, but as you say, you may need to let nature take it's course and some of the ones that survive should have good immunity. Be careful not to overmedicate these weak and sick ones with worming, dusting for lice and mites unless you are sure they have them. Too many drugs can put them over the edge.

The first ones I lost were from the newer ones added to the flock. At that point, they had been quarantined for 4 weeks, then added. They were in with my group for almost a month. It was 2 down from the new flock that were 12 weeks at that point, 4 from my original group that were grown, then 2 more of the newer birds. All in a 2 week time frame.

While the new birds were in quarantine those weeks, I added dirt from the run they would be going into once a week to introduce it. I am still leaning towards thinking this is something even more serious than cocci. My original birds were purchased just for me to begin and see if I enjoyed chickens. I just got local chickens from a lady an hour or so away. She had many different birds and it was obvious these were not pets, but breeders. I did love my birds and cared for them well before deciding I could offer much better birds in this area if I purchased more from better farms. That was when I began to get others and kept them separated. My original local birds were hatchery type stock and would just be used for my eggs. But after mixing in a few new ones that I wanted for my own eggs, everything went downhill. Although it was the newer birds to pass first, I have since spoken with others who purchased birds from the same lady I got my original birds from who have told me that several years ago she had serious problems and lost her entire flock. I am now wondering if it is the original birds who are carriers of something dreadful.

For now, it's a wait and see. Either the NPIP man will have answers on Monday, another will pass that I can send for necropsy, or they will all BE HEALED
BY A MIRACLE!!!!

 

[Cknldy]

When I talked to our local extension office I was told that most folks here don't do fair events because if NPIP's swabs came back positive for certain things then entire flocks could be killed for safety reasons. While I agree with biosafety, I would hate to lose all of my chickens because a few were sick etc. I received a few freebies in the summer. My 1st experience with chickens was when I bought healthy chicks from tractor supply in April and all survived with my 'ocd' care I was totally psyched to be given 5 1/2 week old black giant crosses that the 'more chicks for me!' Syndrome took over. I didn't check them over until I got home- big mistake. Little chickies were FULL of lice, sick looking and had blood in their poop...Cocci! I was regretting letting the newbie in me say yes before doing a health check. Medicated feed, chic saver in water and constant removal of poop as well as frequent total clean outs were the routine. Hubby said leave them out for the fox to take care of- but I felt it was my responsibility to fix them. They were kept away from my healthy rir flock. Sevin dust was used 3 days in a row, a dusting for my rir to keep lice away, then once a week on chicks and all coops until no more signs. Beautiful healthy birds today and 1 has recently started to lay! Check out the 'road less traveled' forum. Start at the beginning and u may find lots of great info- beekissed is awesome.

 

[chickenbelle]

When I talked to our local extension office I was told that most folks here don't do fair events because if NPIP's swabs came back positive for certain things then entire flocks could be killed for safety reasons. While I agree with biosafety, I would hate to lose all of my chickens because a few were sick etc. I received a few freebies in the summer. My 1st experience with chickens was when I bought healthy chicks from tractor supply in April and all survived with my 'ocd' care I was totally psyched to be given 5 1/2 week old black giant crosses that the 'more chicks for me!' Syndrome took over. I didn't check them over until I got home- big mistake. Little chickies were FULL of lice, sick looking and had blood in their poop...Cocci! I was regretting letting the newbie in me say yes before doing a health check. Medicated feed, chic saver in water and constant removal of poop as well as frequent total clean outs were the routine. Hubby said leave them out for the fox to take care of- but I felt it was my responsibility to fix them. They were kept away from my healthy rir flock. Sevin dust was used 3 days in a row, a dusting for my rir to keep lice away, then once a week on chicks and all coops until no more signs. Beautiful healthy birds today and 1 has recently started to lay! Check out the 'road less traveled' forum. Start at the beginning and u may find lots of great info- beekissed is awesome.

While I do adore these birds, if the NPIP testing comes back positive, they have to go. I had wonderfully healthy birds, quarantined new birds appropriately, and have done all of the cleaning and treatments obsessively. The deaths snuck up on us and were sudden and tragic. If this is something more serious than cocci, I can't allow these birds--wonderful as they are--to contaminate any other birds we have. I'm just hoping to get to the bottom of what is really wrong.

I will be keeping everyone posted. This is interesting to me how it is all developing. I hope I get answers that someone else can use in their own flock if necessary.

 

[gg706]

That is REALLY scary! I was planning on getting some more chicks in the spring to add to my flock. Sounds like you did everything right and now you having to deal with this! I am so sorry this has happened to you! Thank You for sharing all the info

 

[chickenbelle]

I am moving my other coops farther away from this one. I had them around 30 yards apart, but now I'm not feeling confident about that. After hours of research, I'm considering Mareck's. I found a website this morning that had a symptom checklist--three symptoms I have were on the Mareck's checklist. If that's the case, I thought generally birds older than 25 or so weeks pretty much didn't have issues. I did lose 3 adults, so I'm not positive. However, all of the others who have died from this have been in the 12 to 13 week range. I have another listless adult today. She is talking and eating, but moving very little and, oddly enough, sitting back on her rear and elbows instead of on her feet. So there's a new odd symptom I haven't seen. Again, Mareck's? Been reading much, but not sure. I removed her to isolation, so I will be watching.


I am now down to four 14 week olds and 8 adults in that coop. I should never have mixed them. But I was so excited about the new guys that I wanted them for filling my own egg basket. GRRRRRR! I am so frustrated. I have learned a lesson here. All other birds from here on out will not get mixed....EVER...unless I hatch them.

I spoke with the man coming Monday for the NPIP--told him my issues and all he said was that as long as they didn't test positive for the pollorum, that was all he needed! Go figure! I was hoping for some advice. Nothing from him, nothing from the vet. I am alone here with only you all for advice!

Hubby is off this coming week. We will be constructing more new coops to put all of our hatching birds into when they arrive. I'm going to have to look at where to put them, but I'm thinking if there is a possibility this is Mareck's , then I need to have them a good acre away. We have the acreage, but we are surrounded by forest--coyotes, panthers, an occasional bear , etc... I don't like them where I can't see them well from the house.

 

[gg706]

Are you considering culling all of them in the pen that is sick? If so could you move and disinfect the coop then burn the area clean with a ground fire and then put the coop back and have a sterile environment? Don't know if this would work but it was an idea that came up. So if the chicks are hatched at your home they are "clean"? I guess maybe I should do hatching eggs instead of chicks if that is the case.

 

[casportpony]

Call LSU and talk to an avian pathologist, they should be able to give you some ideas. If you can't find anyone, let me know and I'll ask the avian pathologist that I work with, he seems to have names at the tip of his tongue.

http://www1.vetmed.lsu.edu//LADDL/index.html

 

[Cknldy]

At about 3 weeks old 2 of my rir chicks started walking on their hocks. Being new to chickens I didn't notice any other symptoms but researched everywhere for the possible problem. I believe it was here on byc that I found the answer and there is a name for it but my notes got washed out. It was a vitamin deficiency (vitamin A if I remember correctly) and vitamin pack like save-a-chick cured them. With all the meds and flushing going on right now in this flock you may have also inadvertently 'flushed' nutrients needed. Not to sound mean but if it were me in that situation I would probably stop all meds with exception of vitamin/mother's vinegar water for a few days until all meds are cleared from their systems. If you haven't seen the tell-tale sign of blood in poop for cocci don't sweat the cocci finding. Some will always show under microscope. Since so few are left I'd use temporary fencing to separate them in the run. That way u can observe each one and their droppings. Write things down for future reference-just in case:-( - and for us!

 

[Cknldy]

I read that back to myself and it sounded as if I was suggesting doing nothing! So not true, sorry. I'm trying to say start over at the beginning. Sometimes we people panick and try everything before EVERYTHING is needed. Observe, contemplate, research, take action

 

[casportpony]

At about 3 weeks old 2 of my rir chicks started walking on their hocks. Being new to chickens I didn't notice any other symptoms but researched everywhere for the possible problem. I believe it was here on byc that I found the answer and there is a name for it but my notes got washed out. It was a vitamin deficiency (vitamin A if I remember correctly) and vitamin pack like save-a-chick cured them. With all the meds and flushing going on right now in this flock you may have also inadvertently 'flushed' nutrients needed. Not to sound mean but if it were me in that situation I would probably stop all meds with exception of vitamin/mother's vinegar water for a few days until all meds are cleared from their systems. If you haven't seen the tell-tale sign of blood in poop for cocci don't sweat the cocci finding. Some will always show under microscope. Since so few are left I'd use temporary fencing to separate them in the run. That way u can observe each one and their droppings. Write things down for future reference-just in case:-( - and for us!

The three peafowl that I had necropsies done on died from coccidiosis, but *never* had blood in their poop.