Silkie Chick with Bloody Stools

[MamaBunBun]

Hi all! We have 3 week old silkies we purchased from TSC to add to our flock of Cochins. We have them housed in our home with pine shavings. All has been well until yesterday. We noticed one chick laying down a lot. Today, it did same thing. I decided to move it to a smaller box by itself and gave it some water with a tsp of pedialyte mixed from a eye dropper. Within 45 minutes, it expelled a bloody BM. (See pic) A few hours later, it passed away.
We currently feed our chicks Purina Chick Starter (Medicated), Hydro Hen water, and use pine shavings as bedding. We’ve not noticed any of the others having this issue. Could it have been Cocci or something else? It just became lethargic, couldn’t stand and stopped drinking/eating.
Any help is appreciated!

Edit: To add Thread Title

 

[hayley3]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous
Hopefully someone more knowledgeable about coccidiosis will see your post, but it is late but with the bloody bowel movement it sure sounds like it.

I would be prepared to go to the farm store and pick up something ASAP.

 

[MamaBunBun]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous
Hopefully someone more knowledgeable about coccidiosis will see your post, but it is late but with the bloody bowel movement it sure sounds like it.

Oh noooo! We use medicated feed, does that not help guard them? I will start dosing them tomorrow morning first thing with Corid. I’m assuming they all may get sick with it?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sounds like coccidiosis... medicated feed is low dose.. preventative,... it can still happen go get Corid and use the severe treatment dose..

ETA: sorry for your loss.

 

[MamaBunBun]

Sounds like coccidiosis... medicated feed is low dose.. preventative,... it can still happen go get Corid and use the severe treatment dose..

View attachment 2079760

ETA: sorry for your loss.

Thank you so much for your help! I hope we can head off any more sick babies. Again, thank you!

 

[azygous]

For a three-week old chick to have coccidiosis is pretty rare, unless they've been on the ground outside. Feeding medicated starter only helps build resistance, not prevent it.

Another possibility is that something sharp was accidentally dropped into the brooder and the chick swallowed it, causing perforation of the intestines. A loose staple, a straight pin, and small open safety pin, a small nail or thumbtack. Do you have small children that could have dropped something into the brooder?

You can do a necropsy on the chick and open the intestines and see what you can find.

 

[MamaBunBun]

For a three-week old chick to have coccidiosis is pretty rare, unless they've been on the ground outside. Feeding medicated starter only helps build resistance, not prevent it.

Another possibility is that something sharp was accidentally dropped into the brooder and the chick swallowed it, causing perforation of the intestines. A loose staple, a straight pin, and small open safety pin, a small nail or thumbtack. Do you have small children that could have dropped something into the brooder?

You can do a necropsy on the chick and open the intestines and see what you can find.

Oh my gosh! This is mortifying! The chicks have never been outside. We planned to keep them in for at least another 4-6 weeks to be sure it stays above 50 here at night.
We do have 2 small children. Only 1 is able to actually “reach” the chicks as we have them high up on a table. I have changed the bedding so if something was in there, it is disposed or in the poor chick. Lord have mercy. Do you think it is still worth using the Corid? I just cannot wrap my mind around what it could of picked up and ate.

 

[azygous]

Life can get strange sometimes. But some things are possible although the odds would normally be against it happening.

Yes, go ahead with the Corid. It's safe even if the chicks don't have coccidiosis. It's not a medicine so much as a particular vitamin blocker. Thiamine is what the coccidio feed on and Corid prevent the chicks from absorbing this vitamin for the period of time it takes to starve out the coccidia.

I was serious about cutting into the chick and slicing through the organs to see what surprise may await. It would take a drastic shift to curious and detatched after being emotionally absorbed by a small cute chick. Refrigerate the body until you can work up to it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. For many of us, we provide a piece of sod in the brooder in the first week, to gently expose the chicks to coccidia in the soil. They have to be exposed to it to start building up a resistance to it gradually. Chicks between 3-6 weeks are most affected, but it can happen at any age if the chicken is having problems with immunity. The Corid is safe to use for all chicks. I would use the maximum dose of 2 tsp (of liquid Corid) per gallon for 5-7 days.

 

[mautri]

Thank you so much for your help! I hope we can head off any more sick babies. Again, thank you!

Did it help? My 12 week old chicks have it. I read use Corid and only on day 1. Now it seems 3 of the six look sick. I feel helpless. Please let us know if it worked? I'm also concerned that my dog can get it from walking into the pen? UGH