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

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.
I have considered culling--but I'm afraid if it is something that is capable of spreading by air (like Mareck's) then it would still spread to the other coops I have. What I read about Mareck's today said that if a bird carries it, the hatched chicks will not have Mareck's unless they are exposed. It does not pass to the egg. So, if I brought the eggs in and didn't allow them around their carrier mother, they'd be fine, right? I am no Mareck's expert! I'd love if someone else could chime in and verify here...

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!
I have been good about the vitamins, too. I'm just wandering lost. I have spent time outside watching them move about. The green runny poo has not started in any of the birds until they are displaying that listless behavior. No blood at all. So, I'm still thinking it is definitely more than the cocci.

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
I am going to keep an eye on them for now. I checked last night about LSU and they will be closed Monday and Tuesday for New Year's. If I lose the bird who is sitting funny then I will definitely be on the phone by Wednesday when they have someone who can help me. If I don't get answers, I will definitely let you know. Thanks for the input. I don't like not knowing what I'm fighting.
 
As of my last check, my rear end sitting hen has eaten her yogurt and crumbles, been drinking, and is now standing again. She appears to still be talking to herself, so I am pleased so far. Her stool is a little off--dark, army green and white. Not like what the other birds had. Still watching and waiting...
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Chicken is now back to normal. Amazing! She also has always had a black face and comb (Australorp). When I checked her this evening to see how she was, her face was actually starting to redden up like a real hen! Impressed here! She got to go back in with her friends.
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Maybe I can move on now...keep fingers crossed!
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Awesome! I am so glad things are looking up!
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Keep us posted Wishing you the best and hoping it is over for you!
 
I don't think anyone's mentioned this yet, so I thought I should...

Mareks disease has some really odd symptoms, and just because it is most common in birds 10-14 weeks does not mean it doesn't affect both the younger and the older. Of course, its course is often slower, but it does seem worth looking into. I think seminolewind has some experience with a massive flock die-off from Mareks with non-paralysis symptoms, but it was a much longer process.

I'm really glad to hear that at least one chicken looks to be doing better
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Keep us posted on the rest of the flock!
 
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
gg if you order day-old chicks directly from a well known hatchery you'll be fine. They go through a quarrentine of sorts anyway while they are in the brooder growing feathers and getting big enough to go outside to the big coop.
 
I believe that after the vet looked at the birds and told me to stop all meds on the group except for the one showing the odd wobbly walk, we are doing fine. The last bird with symptoms--australorp with the wobbly, almost drunken walk got another round of corid daily as the vet instructed and is now on an extra dose of vitamins daily. The corid did not change her gait, but the vitamins do help her steady herself. I will continue with the extra vitamins for her, as she is from that original flock that just appeared to all be weaker than the rest. If she continues after a few more weeks to be wobbly, we may go ahead and cull her to send in to LSU. I hate that, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
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Otherwise, all of the others are back to normal. Thank goodness!
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That's great news! Glad (and sad) that it moved so quickly through your flock. Sad because it hit and killed so quickly and glad that it stopped/passed so quickly that ALL weren't taken. Good luck in the future and I do hope u get some answers as to what it was!:)
 
gg if you order day-old chicks directly from a well known hatchery you'll be fine. They go through a quarrentine of sorts anyway while they are in the brooder growing feathers and getting big enough to go outside to the big coop.
Yes I am going to get my chicks from meyer....A little wary as I have heard some negative comments here and there of chicks being DOA and deaths here and there until they do not have many chicks left......But some of that could be due to the chicks being ordered and shipped during the wintery weather. My chicks are being shipped in May. So hoping everything will go well!
Thank You for the info, makes me feel a little better about it. It seems closing your flock and hatching your own eggs under a broody is probably the best. I may go to that for next time but right now I do not have much choice as I do not have enough hens and my chickens are related so I would like to get this batch of chicks in and then close my flock. My roo is an Araucana and I only have 1 Araucana hen and she should lay a blue egg....so easily distinguished from the others so I do not hatch from the same bloodline. My last chickens came from a "breeder". Do you think I need to be concerned about my current chickens getting the new chickens sick when I integrate them?
 
Yes I am going to get my chicks from meyer....A little wary as I have heard some negative comments here and there of chicks being DOA and deaths here and there until they do not have many chicks left......But some of that could be due to the chicks being ordered and shipped during the wintery weather. My chicks are being shipped in May. So hoping everything will go well!
Thank You for the info, makes me feel a little better about it. It seems closing your flock and hatching your own eggs under a broody is probably the best. I may go to that for next time but right now I do not have much choice as I do not have enough hens and my chickens are related so I would like to get this batch of chicks in and then close my flock. My roo is an Araucana and I only have 1 Araucana hen and she should lay a blue egg....so easily distinguished from the others so I do not hatch from the same bloodline. My last chickens came from a "breeder". Do you think I need to be concerned about my current chickens getting the new chickens sick when I integrate them?
How old are your current chickens? Quarantine the new chicks for at least 4 weeks. If your current chickens are all laying age, I would wait until your new chicks are at least 12 weeks before trying to add them to avoid as much assertiveness in pecking order. They need to be big enough to defend themselves. If your current chickens aren't showing any symptoms of anything, all should go well. However, none of my chickens were showing any symptoms until after I added the new ones and the weather changed. Hopefully if you get all of this done in summer you won't have as many problems.
 

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