Possible Coccidosis?

[RebeccaC83]

Hi everyone -

I have a small hen (her name is Mimi) who is around 8 months old, not laying yet. I'm not sure of her breed, but she is relatively small hen with a very docile demeanor. She is the smallest in my flock of 5 and also the bottom of the totem pole.

On January 2nd, I lost one of my original hens to an unknown cause. I checked my girls in the morning to replace their water and also for feed. She passed within 30 minutes of me bringing her in the house and administering electrolytes and vitamins and setting her up under a lamp (I'm in WI and it has been frigid here, as of late).

Fast forward to this week, and I found Mimi set up next to the feeder in the run. I brought her in thinking she was being bullied and not allowed to get food or water and something seems off. While very docile, she is not walking much, often closing her eyes when she is standing and overall not walking around much when I take her out of her little cage. She is drinking quite a bit, not eating much. I have offered raw egg yolks mixed with Poultry Cell, scrambled eggs, spinach, cooked quinoa, garlic, oatmeal, and a bit of their normal feed mixed with water. Initially, I thought she may have an impacted crop but this morning her crop was smaller and squishy - not hard. I can mostly feel feed. She does not have a sour odor around her beak. I have also given coconut oil and massaged her crop a few times.

Her stools are green and watery, a bit more solid today after allowing her to eat. Photo is attached. I am still concerned, especially after the loss of my Cotton Candy two weeks ago. Should I be worried about Mareks? Begin to dose for coccidia? Deworm? We've struggled to get above zero and will continue to do so until next week - so I hesitate to worm her and my other 4 girls, given I'd need to deep clean my coop and run. I have Corid and Safeguard here. I also worry about the affect the Corid will have on overall organ function and health. I try to maintain a largely "organic/holistic" environment for my hens, but am not opposed to conventional treatment for life-saving or urgent issues.

Any input is appreciated! Thank you!

 

[BobStuart]

I believe apple cider vinegar is good for them. I think they need an empty crop to apply it though. I’ve read only a teaspoon within 1 Litre and a tablespoon in a gallon. But I would put half a teaspoon in 500mL.

 

[tripletfeb]

Hi everyone -

I have a small hen (her name is Mimi) who is around 8 months old, not laying yet. I'm not sure of her breed, but she is relatively small hen with a very docile demeanor. She is the smallest in my flock of 5 and also the bottom of the totem pole.

On January 2nd, I lost one of my original hens to an unknown cause. I checked my girls in the morning to replace their water and also for feed. She passed within 30 minutes of me bringing her in the house and administering electrolytes and vitamins and setting her up under a lamp (I'm in WI and it has been frigid here, as of late).

Fast forward to this week, and I found Mimi set up next to the feeder in the run. I brought her in thinking she was being bullied and not allowed to get food or water and something seems off. While very docile, she is not walking much, often closing her eyes when she is standing and overall not walking around much when I take her out of her little cage. She is drinking quite a bit, not eating much. I have offered raw egg yolks mixed with Poultry Cell, scrambled eggs, spinach, cooked quinoa, garlic, oatmeal, and a bit of their normal feed mixed with water. Initially, I thought she may have an impacted crop but this morning her crop was smaller and squishy - not hard. I can mostly feel feed. She does not have a sour odor around her beak. I have also given coconut oil and massaged her crop a few times.

Her stools are green and watery, a bit more solid today after allowing her to eat. Photo is attached. I am still concerned, especially after the loss of my Cotton Candy two weeks ago. Should I be worried about Mareks? Begin to dose for coccidia? Deworm? We've struggled to get above zero and will continue to do so until next week - so I hesitate to worm her and my other 4 girls, given I'd need to deep clean my coop and run. I have Corid and Safeguard here. I also worry about the affect the Corid will have on overall organ function and health. I try to maintain a largely "organic/holistic" environment for my hens, but am not opposed to conventional treatment for life-saving or urgent issues.

Any input is appreciated! Thank you!

Offer her plain water and food. Nothing in it and see how she eats or drinks that. Pull her food and water at night and feel her crop in the morning, before she eats or drinks anything. I'll tag other members who are very knowledgeable. @Eggcessive @azygous @Wyorp Rock

 

[azygous]

It would be relatively quick and easy to gather a poop sample from the pullet and take it to your vet for a fecal float test. Usually done in under an hour for about $20. It will show if there are troublesome amounts of worms and/or coccidia. You will then know for sure if you should worm the chickens and treat for coccidiosis. You may safely do both at once if it turns out both are present in the feces.

Corid is not an antibiotic. All it does is block vitamin B-1 thiamine from being absorbed. Thiamine is what coccidia feed on. Vitamin supplements should not be given during Corid treatment, but you may resume afterward.

I would treat for hypothermia since that's the most obvious cause for weakness and lethargy at this time of year. Give her warm water with electrolytes and added sugar to drink for the next two days. A squirt of Poultry Cell in the water can't hurt. But don't give it if you decide to treat her with Corid.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hard to know what is going on with your pullet. Do the white urates in her poop look yellowish to you? The poop is very green, and probably from not eating much. That could be a sign of something going on with her reproductive system. Since she has never laid eggs yet, I wonder a bit about a problem. Good suggestion from azygous to get a fecal float. Whenever I have a sick chicken, it seems to come when there is extreme cold weather or when they are molting.

 

[azygous]

There's a method involved with suggesting a fecal float test in addition to treating for hypothermia before jumping to other possibilities causing this hen to be sick. By systematically ruling out the simplest and most easily treated causes first, we then will either see improvement and if not, we can rule those things out and move on to other things to try.

It may be a bacterial infection is behind the hen's behavior and abnormal poop. But we don't want to jump in too quickly with an antibiotic if the simple things are the cause.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She is drinking quite a bit

Initially, I thought she may have an impacted crop but this morning her crop was smaller and squishy - not hard.

Good suggestions from everyone.

She's drinking a lot, but not eating much...

Only other thing I would do is re-check that crop in the morning. Check it first thing before she eat/drinks.
IF it's not empty, then address that symptom.
The article Carol (@azygous ) wrote is very good and these are the methods I follow for treating crop issues for my own flock. I'll link it below.

I always start out with giving Coconut oil regardless if the crop is hard, soft, squishy, sour, etc. So at least begin with that and let us know what her crop feels like.

Mimi is a cutie pie, at 8months, hopefully she will improve.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/