If the bugs are crawling all over the chickens, they are probably lice. If you have a magnifying lens, and I recommend every chicken keeper keeps one, count the legs. Lice have six. Mites have eight. If you see mites on a chicken, the coop also will need to be treated. But I don't think lice are making your chickens sick and killing them.
The incubation period for coccidiosis is five to seven days after a chicken is exposed to new soil. Coccidia are parasites living in soil all over the world. Nine different strains alone target chickens. So the chances are good that your chickens are not resistant to the local strains.
The coccidia are consumed as the chicken picks up grit and they take up residence in the intestines where they feed on the thiamine (B-1) in the blood. They can cause bleeding in the stools but not always. The intestinal lining becomes inflamed and infection begins to take hold. Eventually the chicken dies if not treated.
The first line of treatment is Corid liquid. Get some from your local feed store or pet supply. Mix it two teaspoons to one gallon of water or reduce the proportions if you have fewer chickens. Mix it fresh each day and give to the entire flock for five days as the only water source. After that, wait a week and give another five day round as the only drinking water to kill any eggs that hatched. This is a thiamine blocker so don't give extra vitamins while treating.
For chickens showing symptoms, syringe undiluted Corid liquid directly into the beak. See the second photo for how to do this without getting it into the airway. Give approximately .5ml once a day for three days in addition to the Corid drinking water.
The incubation period for coccidiosis is five to seven days after a chicken is exposed to new soil. Coccidia are parasites living in soil all over the world. Nine different strains alone target chickens. So the chances are good that your chickens are not resistant to the local strains.
The coccidia are consumed as the chicken picks up grit and they take up residence in the intestines where they feed on the thiamine (B-1) in the blood. They can cause bleeding in the stools but not always. The intestinal lining becomes inflamed and infection begins to take hold. Eventually the chicken dies if not treated.
The first line of treatment is Corid liquid. Get some from your local feed store or pet supply. Mix it two teaspoons to one gallon of water or reduce the proportions if you have fewer chickens. Mix it fresh each day and give to the entire flock for five days as the only water source. After that, wait a week and give another five day round as the only drinking water to kill any eggs that hatched. This is a thiamine blocker so don't give extra vitamins while treating.
For chickens showing symptoms, syringe undiluted Corid liquid directly into the beak. See the second photo for how to do this without getting it into the airway. Give approximately .5ml once a day for three days in addition to the Corid drinking water.
