please help - cocci, worms, other??

[jambo]

One of our chickens (we have eight, all are 3 yrs old) is lethargic and not moving much since 3 days ago.

Symptoms: Started appearing lethargic 3 days ago. So we started handfeeding mealworms and yogurt 2 days ago. Seemed to be getting a little better with that, but not any more. Crop is a little hard, but so is rest of flock. No signs of lice/mites.Vent appears pink, but not infected. Started Corid 1.5 days ago. Todays she's not good- closes eyes mostly, stays seated, head drooping, not walking, barely eating or drinking. Diarrhea was clear a few days ago, now only sign of poop is greenish and dried on feathers. No sign of worms.

How long does it take Corid to work? it's been 36 hours and she seems worse. Can we start de-worming now? if she doesn't eat, do we force feed/drink with dropper?

What should we do? Please help!

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!
​

Are you using the Corid powder or liquid? If you're using the liquid, the dose is 2 teaspoons. If you're using the powder, it's 1.5 teaspoons, not 1/2 like most of the posts say.

The .006% dose for Corid Powder is 1/3 teaspoon.
The .006% dose for Corid liquid is 1/2 teaspoon.

The .012% dose for Corid Powder is 3/4 teaspoon.
The .012% dose for Corid liquid is 1 teaspoon.

The .024% dose for Corid Powder is 1.5 teaspoons
The .024% dose for Corid liquid is 2 teaspoons.

FDA recommendations:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/animaldrugsatfda/details.cfm?dn=013-149
"Chickens
Indications: For the treatment of coccidiosis.
Amount: Administer at the 0.012 percent level in drinking water as soon as coccidiosis is diagnosed and continue for 3 to 5 days (in severe outbreaks, give amprolium at the 0.024 percent level); continue with 0.006 percent amprolium-medicated water for an additional 1 to 2 weeks."

And this link has these instructions:
http://www.drugs.com/vet/amprol-9-6-solution-can.html
"Poultry - as Soon As Caecal Coccidiosis Is Diagnosed, Give 0.024% Amprolium In The Drinking Water For 5 To 7 Days. Continue The Treatment With 0.006% Amprolium Medicated Water For An Additional One To Two Weeks. No Other Source Of Drinking Water Should Be Available To The Birds During This Time."
-Kathy

 

[Eggcessive]

Are you seeing any blood in the droppings? Some strains of cocci don't cause bloody stools. The chickens need to drink the Corid in order for it to work. You may need to take a dropper or syringe and feed the Corid, or try putting a little Corid water on chicken feed to make a paste that they will eat. I wouldn't worm when they are so sick, but wait until after the meds are finished. How are you mixing the Corid, and is it powder or liquid?

 

[casportpony]

If she were mine she would be inside with access to a heat source, food and water and I would tube feed her fluids. This is and emergency, IMO.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Are you seeing any blood in the droppings? Some strains of cocci don't cause bloody stools. The chickens need to drink the Corid in order for it to work. You may need to take a dropper or syringe and feed the Corid, or try putting a little Corid water on chicken feed to make a paste that they will eat. I wouldn't worm when they are so sick, but wait until after the meds are finished. How are you mixing the Corid, and is it powder or liquid?

X2, no worming, this sounds like a very sick hen!

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Two great threads on how to tube feed:

• https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...cken-and-give-subcutaneous-fluid#post_9910754
• https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-for-visuals-very-detailed-post#post_11652991

And I'm available by phone to help, just send me a PM.

-Kathy

 

[jambo]

We've not seen blood in the droppings.
Corid dosage is exactly as recommended, and we have been helping her drink.

Think a vet can help her?

 

[Eggcessive]

If you have a good vet, I'm sure that could help. They can prescribe more drugs if they don't think it is cocci, and they could give you equipment and show you how to tube feed.

 

[cafarmgirl]

The vet is probably iffy. Even when you have access to a good avian vet, like I do, they still practice mostly in parrots and other pet birds and knowledge of chickens seems to be pretty limited.. Some of the medical info applies to both species, a lot of it does not. Since chickens are often very hard to diagnose a vet visit for them usually requires a lot of expensive testing like x-rays and lab work to try to figure out what's going on. So it kind of just depends on how far you want to go in trying to figure her out and how much you are willing to spend. I have gone that route before with poor success, now I pretty much treat everything I can at home.

I think you are probably on the right track with continuing her on the Corid treatment and trying to get food/water into her.

Out of curiosity... has she been laying recently? And how does her comb look as far as color?

 

[jambo]

Many thanks to Kathy whom we just spoke with to try to figure this out. She was amazing and offered sage advice. Accordingly, we started tube feeding.
Also, we just had a good friend (40 years raising chickens) come by to take a look. He examined her thoroughly, and went through all the possibilities as well. Nothing obvious; no impacted egg or vent issues, doesn't appear to be coccidiosis, poop not abnormal, no lice/mites, no apparent respiratory issue, eyes ok, comb is off-color but not drastic, etc. She's very light, so she's been in decline for some time.

I'm sad to report that our girl is probably not going to make it- she's declining rapidly despite our tube feeding , heating pad, medicines, and all the love we can give her.
She is peaceful, and the rest of the flock is apparently healthy, though we will continue to treat them with Corid, and de-wormer after that.

Thanks to everyone for your support.