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- #11
aquafarmerri
In the Brooder
Thank you so much...no one is acting sick at all I will watch carefully as I am. It big in medicating when not needed I was the same way with my children growing...too many drug pushers out there.Well, those don't look like cocci to me. Are you feeding medicated? When you see thin watery blood stools, there may be a chick standing around with feathers puffed out if it is cocci. As stated by @lazy gardener
as long as there is no overgrowth it is always there. When it blooms to numbers they can't handle then it's a problem. Check your brooder bedding and make sure it is as dry as it looks. Mine was wetter underneath than on the surface. And when the chicks tucked in at night they snuggled their beaks down inside that gross stuff.
If you do decide to treat for cocci, treat everyone. Corid is what I use. It isn't an antibiotic... it essentially starves out the cocci by blocking it from absorbing thiamine (I think). You could use it in the preventative dose since you don't actually have signs, but I would let their natural defenses work for now and treat if I actually see signs. For me first thing in the morning was the easiest time to see any fresh blood in the brooder. Changing bedding often and making sure there is no poo in the water are the most important prevention methods. And I found even just stirring up the bedding when I let them out to pasture in the morning it would dry out more before they came back in. Moisture is the ideal habitat for cocci to thrive.
When you see the poo is like water, one thing to remember is that is also how chickens expel their urates.
Sounds like you have enough birds to make it worth your time to try fermenting feed. Check out the link in my signature line, I highly recommend it. Although the poo still smells, it is much more solid and smells WAY less! I love love love FF and can't say enough about it, although I know some don't agree. We all have to do what works for and makes sense to us.
If you see someone sitting around and not acting normal, then pursue this further but for now... I think you are OK.
You might use a broom stick or something to extend your reach and help the other chicks find their way out. They are good about getting just out of our reach!
