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

[rbaker0345]

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!!

Have you got a vet nearby who you could bring a fecal sample to so that you could confirm or deny a parasite pathogen.

 

[KLCRollins]

I was talking to one of my neighbors last night about getting it checked out. She wasn't aware of any place I could take it. I have several other neighbors with chickens, so will ask around. We're still iced in today, and will probably be here another day or two. So I won't be able to get anything tested until we thaw out.

I decided to give the Sulmet to the chicken that was not doing well, but ordered Corid yesterday that will get here on Wednesday (assuming no weather delays). Because of the harshness of the Sulmet on the chickens, plus I'm allergic to sulfa drugs, I'd rather wait and use the Corid on the ones that aren't showing symptoms. The one taking the Sulmet is doing better today, so I am so thankful for that.

I appreciate all the advice...so glad to get help when I needed it!

 

[Eggcessive]

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.

Actually sulmet is hard on chicken kidneys, liver, and other organs. There have been reports of resistance in sulmet since it has been used for 60 years. If you really want to use a sulfa drug, use sulfadimethoxine (Di-Methox, Albon, Sulfamed G) which treat several strains of coccidia plus other diseases such as coryza, e.coli, pasteurella, and other baddies, but is a little easier on them. Here is another thread about the debate of amprollium vs. sulmet (sulfamethazine) for any interested: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/758621/coccidiosis-sulmet-or-corrid

 

[rbaker0345]

Huh, I never caught that. I had been using sulmet and albon interchangeably, I didn't catch the little "di" in the albon. Actually, I have switched to toltrazuril, it works really well and I only need to dose for two days plus it takes care of all of the weirdo things like tricho and crypto and cyclo.


But I digress. Then I change my opinion and say, if the sulmet doesn't work, try some albon. Your vet should have it, we use it for kittens and puppies with coccidiosis. I still disagree with using amprolium for TREATMENT. I believe it should be used for chicks to help them build up resistance and then after that if they come down with a case of coccidia, use a coccidiocide. But that's just my opinion.

 

[casportpony]

Also remember that the Sulmet label says that it's effective against two of the nine chicken coccidia and two of the seven turkey coccidia.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

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

I would weigh each bird on a digital kitchen or postal scale and worm orally with Safeguard (10% fenbendazole) liquid or paste at 50mg/kg, that's .5ml per 2.2 pounds and repeat in ten days. If you want to treat with Corid (amprolium) the powder dose is 1.5 teaspoons/gallon and the liquid dose is 2 teaspoons/gallon. FWIW, I have used both wormer and Corid at the same time.

-Kathy

 

[rbaker0345]

Honestly, I swear that my poultry vet says that the strains that sulmet treats are the two of most concern to chickens.

 

[casportpony]

Honestly, I swear that my poultry vet says that the strains that sulmet treats are the two of most concern to chickens.

And probably the most common, too. FWIW I have Sulmet, SMZ's and Corid, but use mostly Corid for coccidiosis.

-Kathy

 

[ten chicks]

The reason Amprolium is recommended is b/c it treats ALL strains of Coccidiosis. Sulmet treats two strains,even though they may be two of the most common,keep in mind there are 9 stains(i just recently read an article stating there may now be 11 stains). Coccidiosis kills very fast,so why would anyone want to use something that only brings two strains under control,what if your chickens had one of the other strains,they would be dead.

My vet recommends Amprolium.

 

[casportpony]

The reason Amprolium is recommended is b/c it treats ALL strains of Coccidiosis. Sulmet treats two strains,even though they may be two of the most common,keep in mind there are 9 stains(i just recently read an article stating there may now be 11 stains). Coccidiosis kills very fast,so why would anyone want to use something that only brings two strains under control,what if your chickens had one of the other strains,they would be dead.

My vet recommends Amprolium.

A UC Davis vet/pathologist told me that about a year ago. Do you have a link to that article?

-Kathy