Starved chicks... one dead and one with enlarged crop!!

[azygous]

Most strains of coccidia do not produce bloody stools. When blood is present in the stools from coccidiosis, it's not a copious amount, and it's confined to the poop, like a dollop on it.

When there is a copious amount of blood in stools and on bedding, it's almost always from a comb injury or broken toenail.

But, if you so much as have a tiny suspicion it's coccidiosis, it does absolutely no harm to treat for it.

 

[21hens-incharge]

.....adding....
The 2 new chicks were outside on pasture before you got them.

I would do a round of treatment.

I would also remove the grit if they are eating large amounts still.

 

[cluelesschickmother]

Most strains of coccidia do not produce bloody stools. When blood is present in the stools from coccidiosis, it's not a copious amount, and it's confined to the poop, like a dollop on it.

When there is a copious amount of blood in stools and on bedding, it's almost always from a comb injury or broken toenail.

But, if you so much as have a tiny suspicion it's coccidiosis, it does absolutely no harm to treat for it.

The blood DEFINITELY came from the poop. I saw one of the chicks leave a bloody poop right in front of me. It looks like a normal solid poop coated in a thick bloody mucus (a little different than most of the bloody cocci stools I see online). The blood of course gets on the bedding and the chicks spread it around the coop. They are going crazy for the bloody pine shavings.

I have seen the splash and the other black chick leave normal poops. Are you saying an injury causes bloody stools? Or that the blood is not from the stools? It is definitely from the poop, unfortunately.

After cleaning the entire brooder and replacing the food and water I have barely noticed any bloody poop, there are small traces of blood here and there on the pine shavings but it has significantly improved (unless they are eating it, they seem to love to eat the blood)...

I bought 20% Corid powder from TSC, its all they had left, as well as "Save a Chick" probiotic. I added a little more than 1/4 teaspoon of the Cord and a little less than half a packet of the probiotic. Someone said to give them 1.5 tsp per gallon, so I did the math for a quart and it came out to .375 (a heaping 1/4 tsp). The package of Corid only mentions its use in Bovine, I hope its okay?

They are still all acting very happy and healthy, chirping, playing and eating and drinking away. The brooder is very clean and of course, no more grit, as I think that was the problem to begin with. Any more ideas on what could be happening? Am I doing everything right?

 

[azygous]

I can't see that anything you're doing is causing this blood. Yes, coccidiosis can cause blood in the stools. I would treat for it with the Corid.

You have verified the blood is coming from the poop, not an exterior injury. But I've never heard of grit causing injury to the intestines. Anything is possible.

If it is the grit, it must be very abrasive. What type is it? Most commercially sold grit is from granite. Do you still have the package? Can you post a photo if the grit up close, magnified?

 

[cluelesschickmother]

I can't see that anything you're doing is causing this blood. Yes, coccidiosis can cause blood in the stools. I would treat for it with the Corid.

You have verified the blood is coming from the poop, not an exterior injury. But I've never heard of grit causing injury to the intestines. Anything is possible.

If it is the grit, it must be very abrasive. What type is it? Most commercially sold grit is from granite. Do you still have the package? Can you post a photo if the grit up close, magnified?

Who knows!! I can not imagine either, as far as I can tell they have superb living conditions. They do go REALLY crazy for the grit, its as if I am bringing them worms... so I had a suspicion there were filling up on it instead of the food and that it would cause harm either internally or from nutritional deficiencies.

I unfortunately don't know what type of grit it is, the hatchery gave it to me in a paper sack - which if you remember, was the problem in the first place... not knowing what was inside of the ominous sack! Haha

The grit out OUT of the brooder now and I have no intentions of putting it back it. Lets see how it plays out... hopefully the blood will be gone by tomorrow. Thankfully, they are all very active and happy

 

[PDXJULES]

HELP!!! One of the new 4 week old black silkie chicks seems really weak and near death. She doesn't move much when I touch her or pick her up and had her wings stretched out and legs splayed in the brooder before I grabbed her (eeek!! thats what happened to our last one before it died!). Worst of all her crop is MASSIVE and rock hard.

Let me start by saying she is REALLY fat, which doesn't initially seem like it would be a problem but may factor in somehow? She is twice the size of the other two, she eats and drinks all day. She really feels TOO fat for a 4 week chick...

I immediately reached out to the hatchery where I just picked her up from yesterday. He asked what her living conditions were and I told him...
- 80 - 85 degrees in the brooder, with warmer and cooler areas
- water fortified with poultry cell, B12, electrolytes and sugar
- chicken grit and chicken starter scattered throughout the pine shavings in the brooder
- full feeder of chicken starter

The guy at the hatchery said that the chicks had been outside with a flock of pullets for the last week or so and had access to grass, water, chicken starter and grit and only during the day. Its about 70º during the day and 40º at night where we live (which seems way too cold for a 3-4 week chick... but what do I know).

He assumed that the drastic temperature increase caused heat stroke in the chick, he also said giving young chicks too many supplements could do more harm than good. So he told me to turn off the brooder light, let the room cool down and replace the water with regular water. In regard to the crop, he said to remove the food for the night and put in more plain chicken grit. All good advice, which I followed.

After about an hour the chick seems to be coming back to life, she's eating the grit and drinking water, but is still very inactive and barely responds to my touch. Meanwhile, the other two, much leaner and smaller chicks (more normal sized chicks) are running around energetically kicking up pine shavings.

I wonder what could be going on? The heat stroke explanation makes sense but doesn't factor in the massive hard crop. I am telling you... its massive! Also, why is she so so fat?? I also checked, and she doesn't have any pasting.

From what I have read online, people say to put electrodes, sugar and B12 in the water for heat stroke... but what if an overdose on that is what's killing her?? Also, none of them are panting! During the summer my chicks would immediately start panting when it got too hot.

She seems to be doing better overall, but is fluctuating from walking around and drinking to laying completely still - to the point where I have to touch her to see if she's alive. They are all huddled in a pile in the dark and the room is around 65º now (I hope its not too much of a temperature shock for the original splash silkie I almost killed from starvation a couple days ago!).

I cant lose another chick! How is everything going so wrong! We raised chicks all summer and not one died!!

Why are you giving sugar to the birds?

 

[NatJ]

Suggestion: put a bit of grit in a bowl or cup, then add water and see whether the water turns red. (Don't give it to the chicks, just look at it.) Someone in the thread said they'd seen grit that was dyed red, and if the grit was red it could make red on the poop. It's easy to test, and might either help solve your mystery, or rule out one possible cause of the red poop.

 

[cluelesschickmother]

Why are you giving sugar to the birds?

I am not anymore, but there is a little sugar in the vitamin supplement I was giving them.

 

[cluelesschickmother]

Suggestion: put a bit of grit in a bowl or cup, then add water and see whether the water turns red. (Don't give it to the chicks, just look at it.) Someone in the thread said they'd seen grit that was dyed red, and if the grit was red it could make red on the poop. It's easy to test, and might either help solve your mystery, or rule out one possible cause of the red poop.

Thats a great idea, but unfortunately the poop was a solid poop covered in a thick layer of red bloody mucus... it was 100% blood, when I picked up the bloody droppings they looked and smelled like blood. Thankfully, since cleaning out the entire brooder and taking away the grit I see many normal poops and very faint traces of blood in the pine shavings so its cleared up dramatically.

 

[azygous]

Why are you giving sugar to the birds?

Sugar is a valuable treatment for reviving any chicken that is weak, semi-conscious, unsteady, heat stressed, suffering from shock from being injured or suffering from hypothermia. It elevates the glucose and will quickly revive a chicken with these emergency issues. It can save a chicken's life in many instances when doing nothing would result in death.