New to this and overwhemed! Help, please...

[Priscilla's mom]

Hello. I got my first batch of girls last spring and fell in love with everything chicken. I learned everything I could about being a good chicken mom, and it was such a great experience that I ordered 8 more to add to my 5. What I did not study was illnesses. Prevention, yes. In retrospect, I wish I had done things differently. My 8 babies have been ill since they were 3 weeks old. They are now 11 weeks. At 3 weeks I started them on medicated food for classic symptoms of coccidiosis, as recommended by a vet. I lost one baby to that, but the acute phase resolved and I was told to keep them on the medicated food for a while. I did for 6 weeks. As I was researching, I realized they were still pale, maybe a bit more sedate than normal, and not growing as fast as my healthy 1 year olds had done. Sure enough 4 days with non-medicated food and they had full blown symptoms again. I began corrid and have been treating for 2 weeks. full dose then moderate dose. They seem to be recovering. Now I have a bird that is very sick Yesterday, I noticed her laying down alot. I noticed a loose stool the day before, but not bloody or mucusy. A few hours later, I saw that she was sort of dragging herself to the food. Now it seems as though she cannot move her legs at all. I have seen her move her wings when I bother her, but she is not holding them normally...they kind of lay at her side all splayed out. Her feathers seem to pull out easily. I remember reading that symptom, but have read so much at this point, cant remember which one. My main concern is preventing my one year olds from illness. She is separated. Any thoughts on how to treat, if I should treat or if she would be a lifelong danger to the flock, the best sanitizer for the coop. It seems as though vets that treat chickens are a rarity in my area. Thanks for reading this long post, and any input!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Medicated feed is designed to assist in prevention, not as treatment or cure, but now you know that I think.

Have you looked at Mareks symptoms? Were they vaccinated for Mareks?

 

[andreanar]

Medicated food does NOT treat cocci. What dose of Corid are you using? Correct dose for the powder is 1 1/2 tsp per gallon of water changed every day. I used the corid for 5-7 days then used probiotics in their water to get their systems back up and all mine recovered. Are you sure you are dealing with cocci? What are the symptoms that made you start corid? Look into Mareks, check for bugs and worms. Are they outside? How long have they been outside? Cocci seems to start once they get on the ground.
You can syringe the sick one corid, soak feed in corid water to get it in her. Also, keep her warm, look into getting some Nutri Drench in her.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry that you are dealing with ill chickens. The one with leg paralysis could be dealing with Mareks disease, or possibly, botulism, since the feathers come out easily. If it were me, I would contact your state vet or a college poultry lab in your area, and try to get a necropsy done on the very sick one. Usually they will euthanize, or you can take or send in the body that has been refrigerated with freezer packs. That way they can confirm the disease.
Mareks can cause a lack of immunity to common illnesses, and may present with lameness in one or both legs or wings. Sometimes the neck can be twisted, or they may have eye changes, or tumors.
Botulism comes from eating a toxin found in animal or fish carcasses, or in vegetation that has rotted underground. It causes first paralysis in both legs, then progresses up the spinal cord to the wings, then neck and breathing muscles and eyelids. Typically, they will die in 24 hours.
Dehydration from the heat or even cocci can cause weakness, wing drooping, and lameness. A vet can do a fecal test on fresh droppings to rule out coccidiosis.

 

[Priscilla's mom]

Medicated feed is designed to assist in prevention, not as treatment or cure, but now you know that I think.

Have you looked at Mareks symptoms? Were they vaccinated for Mareks?

 

[Priscilla's mom]

Medicated feed is designed to assist in prevention, not as treatment or cure, but now you know that I think.

Have you looked at Mareks symptoms? Were they vaccinated for Mareks?

 

[Priscilla's mom]

I have looked at Marek's symptom's . That is why I am wondering if she will be a danger to the rest of the flock. She is still pretty much the same. she is still eating, the weakness hasn't progressed. I'm not sure if they are vaccinated. Knowing what I know now, I am super unhappy with the place that I bought them from. I have to get in touch with the nursery.

 

[Priscilla's mom]

I have looked at Marek's symptom's . That is why I am wondering if she will be a danger to the rest of the flock. She is still pretty much the same. she is still eating, the weakness hasn't progressed. I'm not sure if they are vaccinated. Knowing what I know now, I am super unhappy with the place that I bought them from. I have to get in touch with the nursery.

 

[Priscilla's mom]

Thank you for replying, everyone. I do believe it was the cocci at 3 weeks. the symptoms were still standing still, slightly forward, with really puffy feathers and bloody diarrhea. They did get better with the medicated food, but I noticed they were still pale and not growing as well. They were still in the house, but in a box that I had used last year. It had been disinfected last year, and then again before I put them in with bleach rinsed and then vinegar. That could be the problem. When they were fully feathered they went outside to a blocked of part of the coup with a small outdoor space. I am using liquid corid now at the 2 tsp/gallon dose. Its been 2 weeks. I was just trying to drop the dose to half, as I saw a taper recommended. I guess I can only watch and see.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My 8 babies have been ill since they were 3 weeks old....At 3 weeks I started them on medicated food for classic symptoms of coccidiosis, as recommended by a vet.....I began corrid and have been treating for 2 weeks....Her feathers seem to pull out easily.....symptoms were still standing still, slightly forward, with really puffy feathers and bloody diarrhea.

Do you have photos of your chicks (or video of their actions) and some of their poop?
What exactly are you feeding them right now - what's the date on the bag?
Have they been drinking only Corid water?

I'm very sorry you are having trouble.
It's very hard to know what's going on. Feathers pulling out easily as @Eggcessive mentioned sounds like Botulism.

It's possible since they have been on Corid for a while, they could also be suffering from vitamin deficiency.
I see you asked about necropsy on another thread. If you lose another chick, it would be a very good idea to have send it in. Look up your state lab, sometimes they can perform some testing without necropsy - fecal floats, toxicology, etc. Necropsy is the only way Marek's can only be confirmed.