Christopher1399
In the Brooder
- Oct 3, 2017
- 8
- 6
- 29
OK, having gone through tons of posts already I thought I had this figured out....I did not!!!
Brand new to chickens in March, I have 8 hens from Runnings in NY. Several varieties : isa reds, Plymouth rock, and Americana's.
All girls started laying about 4 weeks ago except Americana's which were 2 weeks younger than the rest of the flock. One Americana started 2 weeks later... we were unable to confirm if the other had as well but based on 1 blue egg we knew one of them was. We regualry get 5-7 eggs daily. They went from medicated starter to layer pellets at approximately the time they began laying.
This past Friday we noticed one of them while free ranging was standing eyes closed, completely uninterested in the flock or foraging. After watching her I gathered the rest and brought them into their coop, she became less responsive and even was getting bumped into by the others with no reaction to them. Her comb is small like the other Americana but it was noticeably pale.
I immediately separated her and noticed she had partially white/yellowish dirreaha. After reading a million posts and speaking a neighbor who has raised chickens for 20 years we decided it was likely Cocci.
We bought liquid Corrid, treated her water 1/2 teaspoon to 1 quart in her small waterer. We tried giving her a dropper with a few drops orally but she fought us bad! She did eat and drink some of the water and food we put out but not much Friday night. Saturday mid day she seemed to be doing better, we gave a small dose in a dropper in the morning and at 3pm and she seemed to be recovering nicely. Sunday she seemed to be headed back to being sicker, with some eye closining her left again. At this point she was fighting the dropper really bad and it took 3 of us to try and get some in her beak. We switched to adding some undiluted Corrid to some cooked corn which she gobbled up. By mid day she seemed to again be recovering, no eye closing and more movement and vocal noises. She did seem to be grooming a lot, but I see no signs of bugs anywhere. When you initially walk in the room she looks down and moves her head back and forth a lot quickly, almost like she is grooming her lower neck.
The main coop was cleaned thoroughly , and water treated for the flock with Corrid.
By Sunday night she was visably better, firm poops, some soft but not liquid, no yellow foam, Monday Morning more of the improvement, I continued the day with 2 small servings of corn with Corrid dropped on them separated by a few hours. She was VERY vocal all day singing and squawking. By mid day I had decided it was time to re introduce her.
At 5pm while the flock was free ranging I brought her out, which went very horribly, her best buddy the other Americana immediately pecked her and took 2 feathers other, 4 others surrounded her until I intervened. She's always been at the bottom of the pecking order, so this was surprise. She did approach a few others to stand tall and challenge them to which she backed down without violence. An hour later she was moving about fine, still skittish of the rest. They all went to roost in the coop, she was last in and was abruptly pecked, she came back out to talk to me through the run fencing where I was standing. I left as I wanted her to push herself to go back in as it was getting dark. She eventually took her position on a perch about 12 inches from the last chicken.
This morning I let them out to free range briefly before work, everything seemed fine, they were out for about 20 minutes. I lured them back into the run with some veggies and she was pecking the food with one eye closed, followed by going off and closing both eyes while standing. I brought her back to the quarantine coop and she immediately laid down flat on the perch and went to sleep. I gave her some treated corn which she was alert for but then she went and laid on the floor.
When I go into the room she coo's and does the looking down, quick movements again. I had checked her again for mites and saw nothing. Fetahers look perfect and clean, she isn't huge but not skinny either.
They are free ranged when we are in the yard, in a 10x14 fully fenced run and a 4x8 hen house. They have never been wormed, and I have not seen worms in any of their stool but have not analyzed much of it until she began showing symptoms. I did not realize until the episode that I needed to worm them.
Any help diagnosing her would be very appreciated. Did I bring her back out too soon? Is it not cocci and maybe worms? What the heck do I do for my sweet girl!? Thank you in advance for your time!!
Brand new to chickens in March, I have 8 hens from Runnings in NY. Several varieties : isa reds, Plymouth rock, and Americana's.
All girls started laying about 4 weeks ago except Americana's which were 2 weeks younger than the rest of the flock. One Americana started 2 weeks later... we were unable to confirm if the other had as well but based on 1 blue egg we knew one of them was. We regualry get 5-7 eggs daily. They went from medicated starter to layer pellets at approximately the time they began laying.
This past Friday we noticed one of them while free ranging was standing eyes closed, completely uninterested in the flock or foraging. After watching her I gathered the rest and brought them into their coop, she became less responsive and even was getting bumped into by the others with no reaction to them. Her comb is small like the other Americana but it was noticeably pale.
I immediately separated her and noticed she had partially white/yellowish dirreaha. After reading a million posts and speaking a neighbor who has raised chickens for 20 years we decided it was likely Cocci.
We bought liquid Corrid, treated her water 1/2 teaspoon to 1 quart in her small waterer. We tried giving her a dropper with a few drops orally but she fought us bad! She did eat and drink some of the water and food we put out but not much Friday night. Saturday mid day she seemed to be doing better, we gave a small dose in a dropper in the morning and at 3pm and she seemed to be recovering nicely. Sunday she seemed to be headed back to being sicker, with some eye closining her left again. At this point she was fighting the dropper really bad and it took 3 of us to try and get some in her beak. We switched to adding some undiluted Corrid to some cooked corn which she gobbled up. By mid day she seemed to again be recovering, no eye closing and more movement and vocal noises. She did seem to be grooming a lot, but I see no signs of bugs anywhere. When you initially walk in the room she looks down and moves her head back and forth a lot quickly, almost like she is grooming her lower neck.
The main coop was cleaned thoroughly , and water treated for the flock with Corrid.
By Sunday night she was visably better, firm poops, some soft but not liquid, no yellow foam, Monday Morning more of the improvement, I continued the day with 2 small servings of corn with Corrid dropped on them separated by a few hours. She was VERY vocal all day singing and squawking. By mid day I had decided it was time to re introduce her.
At 5pm while the flock was free ranging I brought her out, which went very horribly, her best buddy the other Americana immediately pecked her and took 2 feathers other, 4 others surrounded her until I intervened. She's always been at the bottom of the pecking order, so this was surprise. She did approach a few others to stand tall and challenge them to which she backed down without violence. An hour later she was moving about fine, still skittish of the rest. They all went to roost in the coop, she was last in and was abruptly pecked, she came back out to talk to me through the run fencing where I was standing. I left as I wanted her to push herself to go back in as it was getting dark. She eventually took her position on a perch about 12 inches from the last chicken.
This morning I let them out to free range briefly before work, everything seemed fine, they were out for about 20 minutes. I lured them back into the run with some veggies and she was pecking the food with one eye closed, followed by going off and closing both eyes while standing. I brought her back to the quarantine coop and she immediately laid down flat on the perch and went to sleep. I gave her some treated corn which she was alert for but then she went and laid on the floor.
When I go into the room she coo's and does the looking down, quick movements again. I had checked her again for mites and saw nothing. Fetahers look perfect and clean, she isn't huge but not skinny either.
They are free ranged when we are in the yard, in a 10x14 fully fenced run and a 4x8 hen house. They have never been wormed, and I have not seen worms in any of their stool but have not analyzed much of it until she began showing symptoms. I did not realize until the episode that I needed to worm them.
Any help diagnosing her would be very appreciated. Did I bring her back out too soon? Is it not cocci and maybe worms? What the heck do I do for my sweet girl!? Thank you in advance for your time!!
I'm sure others will get here soon--but in addition to what you've done, I'd give her nutri-drench and a well balanced grower ration (18% protein). If you've got a can of pink salmon give her a couple ounces with juice as well. Again welcome and we're glad you joined us. 
