Sick Chicken

[MNFowl]

Hi! I am fairly new to chicken raising. We got our chickens in August, and they were around a year and half old. We loved the chickens, and decided to get some chicks. Today when I went out to feed them our Red Sex Link was acting weird (she is around a year and a half) She still isn't acting better, and I can't figure out what is wrong. Her symptoms are:
1) She is puffed up as if she is cold, and her tail is pointing down, but it usually points up
2) She didn't come and greet me, which she always does, but she can walk
3) She is tucking her head to her chest
4) Her poop is watery, it has been for a while, I researched it, and it didn't fit any of the major problems, and she seemed fine, so I ignored it, but it is not bloody
5) She will eat
6) She acts very sleepy
I can't figure out if the chicks gave her some weird disease or not or if she is just cold. The chicks have been around the other chickens for about two weeks now, and the others all seem fine. Please let me know what to do!

 

[MNFowl]

So having done more research, I am pretty sure that she has coccidiosis, so how is the best way to cure her, and should I treat all of the other chickens?

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Coccidiosis in chickens has about 9 strains, and while they usually build up immunity to the strain in home soil, when chickens are mixed from different groups or soils, there can be a chance of introducing a new strain of cocci that they aren't immune to yet. Corid or amprollium is the best treatment, in the cattle medicines at local feed stores. If you can't get that, then get Sulmet or Sulfadimethoxine. Corid dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid, or 1.5 tsp of the powder for 5-7 days, and treat all birds as the only source of water, and change it daily. After completion, treat with vitamins and probiotics in the water for several more days. Also, check your chickens for lice and mites, make sure that she isn't egg bound by checking inside her vent 1 inch with a rubber glove, and consider worming her and all chickens with Valbazen 1/2 ml orally, then repeat in 10 days.

 

[MNFowl]

Today we bought the Corid and put it in the water. She is still eating, but now when she tries to walk she is tipsy and has to put her wings out for balance. All of her other symptoms are the same. Is this coccidiosis or something else?

 

[Eggcessive]

When you say she is tucking her head to her chest, does it look like this? Does she drag either of her legs? Her symptoms sounded like coccidiosis until now. With cocidiosis they will stand puffed up or with the head drawn back into the shoulders, but the picture below is of torticolis or wry neck. Sometimes that can be a sign of Mareks disease, but it can also be a sign of vitamin deficiency, head injury, or a symptom of brain inflammation from certain diseases.

 

[MNFowl]

Her neck is not like that, she just looks like she is puffed up. The major problem now is that she is not drinking her water, which is what has the Corid in it. I have been giving her medicated chick feed mixed with the water, but should I start syringe watering her? Thank you!

 

[MNFowl]

So the sick chicken died, so we cleaned the coop and got rid of the body, but I also left the Corid out last night, which caused it to freeze, so did that ruin the Corid? It says on the bottle not to let it go below 41 C, which since it froze it did. The other chickens are showing no symptoms whatsoever, so should I continue the treatment?

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes I would use it--just thaw it out and shake it well each time you mix new each day. Corid won't hurt them, so i would treat them. When they are sick, they won't drink, and the Corid must be given in a dropper or syringe by mouth. I would get a necropsy on the chicken you lost if the body could be refrigerated, but not frozen. The state vet can do those and give you a cause of death. Here is a link for your state vet to contact them: http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf

 

[MNFowl]

Great! Thank you so much!