Not sure what's going on with my flock...

[KLCRollins]

Three weeks ago, we lost a 1 1/2 yr. old hen. My husband noticed one evening she looked a little sickly, but it was dark and she had already settled into the coop for the night so weren't sure. He said she looked like a hen would look if it had the flu. She died the next day before I could do anything to help her.

Then a week later, I found another one of our 1 1/2 yr. old hens hunkered down in the grass and could tell something was wrong. I moved her into a separate area, put a light on her, and gave her some food and water. She drank a ton, but wouldn't eat very much (gave her feed, yogurt, and some seeds we use as treats). She was also super skinny, although she was already one of my smaller chickens. Once I separated her, she would only stand up...wouldn't lay down. She had green, runny poo, which made sense since she wasn't eating anything. She stayed like this for two days. I gave her a bath thinking she might be egg bound, but couldn't feel anything. I wrapped her loosely in a towel so that I could get her to rest (since she was still standing) and she died about 2 hours later. No blood in her poo, no other symptoms other than not moving much and not eating. I also checked for sour crop, but could tell it wasn't that.

I'm in the Dallas area and we got hit hard last night with over an inch of sleet and it's in the 20's today. Most of my chickens (I have 31) have remained in the coops...I've been bringing them fresh water and food. I noticed one of my 2 1/2 yr. old hens laying in the bottom of one of the coops looking very tired. At first, I thought she was just not happy to be in the coop all day (I've had the doors open, they just aren't wandering out). I went out just a little bit ago and she literally fell out of the coop door, stood up very slowly, and painstakingly walked a small distance before I got over to her and tried to offer her some water. She wouldn't drink. So now I've separated her and gave her water and yogurt (which she isn't eating or drinking).

I'm beyond frustrated because I can't figure out what the problem is. I've looked up all sorts of information trying to pinpoint what could be happening. Am I overlooking something obvious? Please help!!

 

[Eggcessive]

I would probably start treating everyone for coccidiosis with Corid (amprollium.) Give 1 tsp powder or 2 tsp liquid in one gallon water for 5-7 days. Then after treatment give vitamins and probiotics. Mites and worms could also be a factor here. If you can get a collective stool sample examined by your vet for worms, or just go ahead and worm them with a wormer that gets more than just roundworms, I would do this. The symptoms of coccidiosis are lethargy, poor appetite, paleness, lying puffed up, and diarrhea. Blood is only present in some strains.

 

[KLCRollins]

Should I treat them for coccidiosis and worm them at the same time? Seems I've read before to do one or the other?

 

[Eggcessive]

Should I treat them for coccidiosis and worm them at the same time? Seems I've read before to do one or the other?

There are varied opinions on this, but I would go ahead and do both--but I would use a wormer to give straight, not in the water. If you choose to wait on one, I would start the Corid first.

 

[rbaker0345]

I would skip the corid and go for the sulmet, and I would deworm with fenbendazole paste ( a pea-sized amount once a day for three days). Other parasites besides coccidia can cause wasting and lethargy and fenbendazole pretty much knocks em all out.

 

[KLCRollins]

My neighbor had sulmet (we're iced in today), so that's what I went with.

 

[Eggcessive]

My neighbor had sulmet (we're iced in today), so that's what I went with.

I would skip the corid and go for the sulmet, and I would deworm with fenbendazole paste ( a pea-sized amount once a day for three days). Other parasites besides coccidia can cause wasting and lethargy and fenbendazole pretty much knocks em all out.

 

[rbaker0345]

Sulmet fights fewer strains, but it fights the ones that are the most common and virulent. Also, sulmet is a coccidiocide whereas amprolium (corrid) is a coccidiostat. That is why amprolium is good for prevention or building up a resistance while sulmet is best for treatment.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sulmet is very hard on the kidneys, as are most sulfa drugs. Since Corid gets more strains and is easier on chickens, most people use Corid for an outbreak. The OP had Sulmet and couldn't get Corid in her bad weather, so she is right in using it.

 

[rbaker0345]

Sulmet isn't really that hard on the kidneys, no harder than most other pharmies. Sulfa drugs are hard on human kidneys and some people just can't tolerate them. Amprolium inhibits thiamine synthesis and I feel that this can be just as hard on their systems as a sulfa drug. SMZ-TMP is one of the safest drugs you can give a chick and that's just sulmet with trimethoprim added. Like I said, yes corrid treats more strains of coccidia, but most of them aren't strains that have to be worried about. I have a poultry vet and she says to go right for the sulmet during an outbreak but to use the amprolium medicated feed for prevention so that it doesn't ever come to my having to treat an outbreak.