Possible egg bound? Cocci?

[ImNotYogi]

The other day I noticed some reddish poop in the run and thought it may just be normal intestinal lining being shed. Today my wyandotte is acting off. Still drinking and eating but not as much and seems low energy-efficient. She keeps sitting but is not walking funny (walks slow but no wobble) and her wings and tail are still upright. The other hens are acting fine. Theyre on layer feed but I went ahead and crushed some calcium pills and put them in some scrambled eggs. I also started a cocci treatment and dosed her with nutri drench. I have a warm bath for her but she got away from me but will try again soon.

Any ideas on what else to do?

Edit: she seemed fine last night. Havent seen an egg from her lately but shes nearing 3 and not a consistent layer anyway. Its been kinda chilly and windy here lately so could it just be a cold or something?

Edit again: i did feel her abdomen and it felt odd but im unsure of what theyre supposed to feel like so checked my legbar who lays daily and they felt more or less the same

 

[nightowl223]

First, please don't just start birds on medication when it's not known if it's needed. It's hard on their bodies, and can cause more harm than good.

Second, you need to catch her and set her up somewhere where you can observe her, away from everyone else. Somewhere quiet and warm, like a bathroom, in a crate. If there is something going on, disease-wise, you need to try to stop it from spreading, if possible. Wash well before you handle any other birds, too. Give her free-choice food and water (I'd add some vitamin/electrolyte mix in her water, and some ACV, too - about a teaspoon or so per quart).

Finally, check her over, and look for lice and mites, or injuries, or any signs of disease like nasal drainage or gunk in the eyes or a buildup of not-quite-poop-looking crud around the cloaca. Feather lice will lay eggs around the base of the feathers, where they go into the skin, and will be found mainly around the vent. Check her over for all of that, after you get her in away from everyone else. and let us know what, if anything, you find. Pictures can help us a lot, too. Closeups of the face, and any oddities you find, would be great.

 

[RodNTN]

Corid can't hurt chickens even if they're not sick. Do you have a pic of her poop? It really sounds like cocci to me, and from my experience with cocci I know how to spot it.

I would get some Corid for them all ASAP, Coccidiosis can kill quickly.

 

[RodNTN]

@theoldchick @Eggcessive @casportpony

 

[nightowl223]

Corid can't hurt chickens even if they're not sick. Do you have a pic of her poop? It really sounds like cocci to me, and from my experience with cocci I know how to spot it.

I would get some Corid for them all ASAP, Coccidiosis can kill quickly.

Oh, really? I was just always told to never, ever medicate unless absolutely necessary, and that advice came from some very knowledgable old-timers in chicken keeping.

I do know that you should not eat any eggs from medicated chickens, and for at least 10 days after they are off of meds. I'd scramble their eggs and feed them back to them, if I were you. That's what I do whenever I have anyone that needs meds. I don't know the half-life of something like amoxycillin or doxycycline, and any bird that's needed it (I've had some with pretty bad injuries) desperately needed the extra protein for healing.

 

[RodNTN]

Oh, really? I was just always told to never, ever medicate unless absolutely necessary, and that advice came from some very knowledgable old-timers in chicken keeping.

I do know that you should not eat any eggs from medicated chickens, and for at least 10 days after they are off of meds. I'd scramble their eggs and feed them back to them, if I were you. That's what I do whenever I have anyone that needs meds. I don't know the half-life of something like amoxycillin or doxycycline, and any bird that's needed it (I've had some with pretty bad injuries) desperately needed the extra protein for healing.

Lots of expert members on here have told me that Corid won't hurt a chicken, and if it doesn't help her chicken we can rule cocci out. I have been using Corid for years, and I have had great experience with it.

 

[casportpony]

In my flock intestinal lining is never normal and usually means that they have worms or coccidiosis.

 

[casportpony]

Knowing how to treat without a vet's help is hard. Some things are treatable, others are no, but treating a bird that looks a little off with both Safeguard and Corid is perfectly safe.

 

[casportpony]

Second, you need to catch her and set her up somewhere where you can observe her, away from everyone else. Somewhere quiet and warm, like a bathroom, in a crate. If there is something going on, disease-wise, you need to try to stop it from spreading, if possible. Wash well before you handle any other birds, too. Give her free-choice food and water (I'd add some vitamin/electrolyte mix in her water, and some ACV, too - about a teaspoon or so per quart).

Finally, check her over, and look for lice and mites, or injuries, or any signs of disease like nasal drainage or gunk in the eyes or a buildup of not-quite-poop-looking crud around the cloaca. Feather lice will lay eggs around the base of the feathers, where they go into the skin, and will be found mainly around the vent. Check her over for all of that, after you get her in away from everyone else. and let us know what, if anything, you find. Pictures can help us a lot, too. Closeups of the face, and any oddities you find, would be great.

Very good advice!

 

[nightowl223]

Lots of expert members on here have told me that Corid won't hurt a chicken, and if it doesn't help her chicken we can rule cocci out. I have been using Corid for years, and I have had great experience with it.

The meds I have ever heard in the "never use unless necessary" have been more like antibiotics, so this really doesn't contradict it. Corid isn't exactly penicillin, after all. Thanks for the information.