Should I treat all of them?

[fiberart57]

I have a flock of eleven 9 and 10 week old chicks. They have been on medicated chick starter (18% protein) since day one and I'm trying to switch them to a grower, Manna Pro Trip - L - Duty (16% protein but not medicated) by mixing a 3:1 ration of chick starter to Manna Pro. This was Monday that this change started. This morning one 9 week EE chick, who has had watery and runny poo, had some poo with a small bit of bright red at the end, bloody I think. I should mention that this chick has been a slow developer.

She(he?) however runs around, gobbles food down madly, annoys the other chicks and comes eagerly when I approach thinking it's treat time. No apparent weight loss or unthriftiness. In other words, there are no other symptoms.

I recently installed a cat litter box full of water for them because the temperatures are approaching 100 degrees which seems to make them drink more. I live in western Colorado and the climate is dry and their house has wood shavings in it and I haven't changed the bedding in four weeks but have stirred it up. The house does not smell, as a matter of fact, the run smells stronger than the house. I just got some arena sand in for the run to help with absorbtion.

So, is it cocci or worms? If it is either, should I treat all of them, many who have normal droppings or just this one chick? Or should I give them some DE and/or go back to the medicated chick starter?

Thanks, Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'll include a couple of links that might help you.

Florida worm Page
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/VM/VM01500.pdf

Cocci Symptoms
http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/dealing_with_coccidiosis.htm

From your description, I don't think it is cocci. You are on the sight and can see things we can't so you are a better judge than I am. Sometimes, chickens shed some of their intestinal linings when absolutely nothing is wrong. I don't know if blood can come with it. I never said this would be easy.

If it is worms, and that would not surprise me, I'd treat them all. If one has worms, they all have worms.

Good luck.