Ongoing diarrhea. Help!

[ChickenMama34]

Hi there!

So I’ve had a flock of hens for about 9 months now. My girls are about 1 year old. I’ve noticed for the last month or so that my blue Andalusian has been having extremely runny poops. Like they actually squirt out of her bum often. They eat layer pellets, oyster shells and grit. I give them collectively one handful of mealworms everyday. I treated them all with 2 doses of ivermectin, probiotics and electrolytes. The other day I saw one bloody poop in the coop a few days after the second treatment but haven’t seen any since. My friend said it could be from worm die off? The diarrhea did seem to be getting better but it’s back and bad! I’m wondering if I should treat for cocci? My chickens all look very alert and healthy. Not quite sure if I should keep trying to treat this diarrhea or just wait for more symptoms to show up?
Thanks everyone!

 

[coach723]

It's less likely that it's coccidiosis at their ages, and they would be acting sick. Some parasites have become resistant to ivermectin so you would be better off getting some Safeguard (either the liquid goat wormer or the horse paste) or some Valbazen (labeled for cattle) and worming with one of those. Those will take care of everything except tapeworm, and they are very safe. Unless you have a vet that will run a fecal test for you, that would tell you for sure if that is the issue. If you have another bloody dropping, post a picture. Sometimes something they ate can be mistaken for blood, or it could be intestinal shed instead. Increased intestinal shed can also be a sign of parasites, due to the irritation of the intestines.

 

[ChickenMama34]

It's less likely that it's coccidiosis at their ages, and they would be acting sick. Some parasites have become resistant to ivermectin so you would be better off getting some Safeguard (either the liquid goat wormer or the horse paste) or some Valbazen (labeled for cattle) and worming with one of those. Those will take care of everything except tapeworm, and they are very safe. Unless you have a vet that will run a fecal test for you, that would tell you for sure if that is the issue. If you have another bloody dropping, post a picture. Sometimes something they ate can be mistaken for blood, or it could be intestinal shed instead. Increased intestinal shed can also be a sign of parasites, due to the irritation of the intestines.

Thank you for the reply. Okay interesting. Also I just took some pictures of the runny poops. The pictures in the shavings is also one I’m seeing a lot from this one bird in particular. It looks like intestines almost within the poop.

 

[coach723]

Has it been hot where you are? If they drink a lot of water they can look like that. The droppings on the shavings look pretty normal. The others are watery, but I don't see anything else, maybe some undigested grain or corn in the one.

 

[ChickenMama34]

Has it been hot where you are? If they drink a lot of water they can look like that. The droppings on the shavings look pretty normal. The others are watery, but I don't see anything else, maybe some undigested grain or corn in the one.

No not hot. It's been quite cold. We live in Canada and it's been around 0 degrees to 10 degrees celsius for the last while.

 

[coach723]

If you can't get a fecal done to test for parasites, I would worm them with one of the others, fenbendazole or albendazole are the medications in the wormers I listed above, in Canada they may be in a different brand. I seem to recall others saying that in Canada you may have to get from a vet, I'm not sure what is available there.

 

[PreciousFeather]

It's less likely that it's coccidiosis at their ages, and they would be acting sick. Some parasites have become resistant to ivermectin so you would be better off getting some Safeguard (either the liquid goat wormer or the horse paste) or some Valbazen (labeled for cattle) and worming with one of those. Those will take care of everything except tapeworm, and they are very safe. Unless you have a vet that will run a fecal test for you, that would tell you for sure if that is the issue. If you have another bloody dropping, post a picture. Sometimes something they ate can be mistaken for blood, or it could be intestinal shed instead. Increased intestinal shed can also be a sign of parasites, due to the irritation of the intestines.

Our chickens are our babies- we love them like we love our dog! We just lost 1 of 8 chicks that are 1 year old next month after diarrhea for a couple weeks. She did not appear sick (was eating and drinking) UNTIL the last day when she wouldn't leave the run to free range. She curled up in the coop that afternoon and was dead by evening. Our chicks have a well insulated, clean, large, heated coop. We did just change their food from an Organic to Nutrena Feather Fixer because we could not find the Organic in stock anywhere. HELP ---- Now we have another one with diarrhea. She is eating and drinking. Another note is that we have 1 rooster who is becoming a tyrant to the hens. 4 out of 6 remaining have bare backs and a couple with bloody sores from the roo. We are putting salve on them and put saddles on them. What do you suggest we do? Both chickens have been with the flock.... so if its a sickness, I am assuming that its too late to isolate her??? How much Safeuard do I use on a chicken and how do we get her to take it? Sorry for these questions but we are new to this. Thank you in advance!!!

 

[coach723]

Safeguard dose is .25 ml per pound of body weight, orally, once a day for 5 days in a row. Get a weight with a digital kitchen scale. Use an oral syringe to draw up your dose according to weight. With the liquid goat wormer you need to shake it up really well before drawing the dose, it settles out. It's easiest to dose them early in the morning before the sun comes up. Lock them in the coop at dark, go out early and take them off the roosts one at a time and dose them individually. Put them in the run after, and when the coop is empty, you've gotten them all. Hold them under your arm, (if you have two people it's easier, I do this all the time by myself, 35 birds) pull down on the wattles, gently push the syringe to administer the medication, .5 ml at a time into the front of the beak. Let them swallow that much. Repeat until the entire dose is given. Don't squirt it forcefully into the back of the throat, they could aspirate. If any don't like to be held and flap and struggle, wrap them in a bath towel like a burrito to hold their wings.
At one year old, they should be resistant to coccidia on your land that they have been on, unless you have brought new birds in that could bring a new strain, or moved them to new ground. But if in doubt, I would also do a round of Corid for that. Corid will treat coccdia, the safeguard will treat all other internal parasites except tapeworm.
Valbazen is a little easier, the dose is smaller in volume and you would only have to do two doses 10 days apart if you use that. Dose for Valbazen is .5 ml for a standard sized bird and is also given orally the same way. (Actual dosing for Valbazen math is : weight in lbs / 2.2 X 20 mg / 113.6)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[ChickenMama34]

If you can't get a fecal done to test for parasites, I would worm them with one of the others, fenbendazole or albendazole are the medications in the wormers I listed above, in Canada they may be in a different brand. I seem to recall others saying that in Canada you may have to get from a vet, I'm not sure what is available there.

Thank you so much for all of your help! I really appreciate it!

 

[ChickenMama34]

Our chickens are our babies- we love them like we love our dog! We just lost 1 of 8 chicks that are 1 year old next month after diarrhea for a couple weeks. She did not appear sick (was eating and drinking) UNTIL the last day when she wouldn't leave the run to free range. She curled up in the coop that afternoon and was dead by evening. Our chicks have a well insulated, clean, large, heated coop. We did just change their food from an Organic to Nutrena Feather Fixer because we could not find the Organic in stock anywhere. HELP ---- Now we have another one with diarrhea. She is eating and drinking. Another note is that we have 1 rooster who is becoming a tyrant to the hens. 4 out of 6 remaining have bare backs and a couple with bloody sores from the roo. We are putting salve on them and put saddles on them. What do you suggest we do? Both chickens have been with the flock.... so if its a sickness, I am assuming that its too late to isolate her??? How much Safeuard do I use on a chicken and how do we get her to take it? Sorry for these questions but we are new to this. Thank you in advance!!!

I’m so sorry for your loss! Please let me know if you find something that helps!