Please help - peachick suddenly very ill (photo)

[DylansMom]

Thanks so much for all your responses and suggestions. Sounds like coccidiosis is a major suspect - one question though, they are on feed that is already medicated for coccidiosis prevention - is it still possible for them to get it?

I have had coccidiosis in chicken chicks before (who were on unmedicated feed), it was extremely contagious and the entire group of chicks all came down with it within the same day. Right now, all my other peachicks still appear perfectly healthy.

Last year I lost 2 peachicks to cocci and a third was saved by a visit to the vet. they were housed with 7 others who never got ill from it. All were fed nothing but amprolium medicated chick starter. I found out the hard way that the medicated feed doesn't cure coccidiosis, it just keeps the little buggers in check while the chick builds up a resistance to them. Cocci is everywhere in your soil, you cannot prevent infection, the trick is to keep them alive long enough to become resistant. Tube feeding is a must, my vet told me the cocci will cause them to not eat and they can starve to death in a matter of a day or 2. Vet also said that something probably caused them to go off the feed just a bit in the first place, but it was enough that they were not getting the adequate preventative dose of amprolium, keep them on the medicated feed and use the corid in the water, I have chicks the same age and one of their favorite things right now is eating each others poop

, so they will all be exposed. Chickens and many other poultry will develop their resistance at a younger age so it often appears they are unaffected while your peas will end up dying from it.

 

[casportpony]

Forgot to mention that Corid is in the cattle section.

-Kathy

 

[AraucanaAnne]

Thanks everyone for your responses and help, I started medicating for cocci immediately but she continued to worsen and died shortly thereafter. By the time she died, her abdomen was green in color. All the others are still 110% fine. Was wondering if possibly she had some sort of internal abdominal fluid leakage which then became infected? I wanted to do a necropsy but didn't have the heart.

 

[casportpony]

Thanks everyone for your responses and help, I started medicating for cocci immediately but she continued to worsen and died shortly thereafter.  By the time she died, her abdomen was green in color.  All the others are still 110% fine.  Was wondering if possibly she had some sort of internal abdominal fluid leakage which then became infected?  I wanted to do a necropsy but didn't have the heart.

Sorry you lost her... Cause of death was probably from enteritis, which could have been secondary to coccidiosis or a bacterial infection. if this happens again you should see a vet ASAP. Heavy duty, hardcore antibiotics are the only thing that could have saved her, but it still might have been too late.

Again, sorry for your loss,
Kathy

 

[zazouse]

Thanks everyone for your responses and help, I started medicating for cocci immediately but she continued to worsen and died shortly thereafter. By the time she died, her abdomen was green in color. All the others are still 110% fine. Was wondering if possibly she had some sort of internal abdominal fluid leakage which then became infected? I wanted to do a necropsy but didn't have the heart.

 

[thatchickenlady]

I'm sorry you're having this problem. I agree it could be coccidiosis and I think it can be contracted even with medicated feed, although less likely. I think the best thing, if possible, is to get a necropsy if it does not recover, so you will know for sure. Some agricultural college poultry extension labs will do a necropsy fairly cheap...