Mystery illness...Cocci???

sepaditty1

Songster
11 Years
Mar 29, 2008
771
78
198
South Carolina
I also posted this in a thread on another forum. Hopefully someone will find it and help me.

Alright, Wednesday afternoon I brought home the 7 birds and set them up in the shed in a pen. I was super careful not to go near my current flock until after I had washed up. This shed is close to the current pen, but closed up. No chickens allowed...except now the ones in quarantine.

Wednesday, I saw my rooster, Spike, walking around the yard just doing what chickens do. Fast forward to Thursday afternoon. I get a call from my hubby when he gets home from work. "Did you see Spike today? He looks really sick." Oh, man! I had the new ones blocked off, its only been a day. What's going on?

His comb was covered in what looked like black tar. His neck was red, but in a weird way. He was perfectly white Foghorn Leghorn looking bird. Now, it looked like his comb leaked all over his neck. Imagine if you painted it red and then it rained. Sort of streaky & weird all over. His left ear was covered in what looked like barnacles. Did not see any sign of mites or worms. His left eye wouldn't open. He could stand and walk, but was less energetic than normal.

I immediately thought that the new birds must have somehow caused Cocci, so I mixed up the Corid in water. He wouldn't/couldn't drink any. Very disinterested in any food or water.

I had Cocci run through a couple years ago and lost several birds and I really really didn't want that to happen again. We made the very hard decision to cull him. I feel like it was sort of a rash decision since I didn't research what it could be and how we might save him. But I also didn't want anything to spread.

I put Corid in the water for everybody. I really hope someone can tell me what this was. Was it from the new birds? Did I have another option that I didn't try? What if more birds get whatever this is? Has anyone seen anything similar?

Oh, all the new birds are still separated, and seem to be fine.
 
I'm sorry. No pictures. Didn't look like he was bloody. His comb was still red, just covered in black tar like stuff. I wish I had taken a picture because it is very hard to explain.
 
When blood dries on their combs it crusts up black. That also explains the red on his hackles.

I am unaware of any pox or disease that would be exposed and develop symptoms that fast.
 
I would submit that next time you are unsure, to quarantine the bird. He was probably just beat up and healing from a nasty fight.
 

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