Troubleshooting Death/Illness

[mountainchicknewbie]

Hi y’all. I’m trying to troubleshoot what’s going on. I ordered 4 d’uccle and 4 welsummers through MPC. All 4 d’uccle were dead on arrival, which even seemed to shock MPC when I called them. My welsummers are 4 days old now, and they were flourishing. No pasty butt. Active. Content. I moved them to a different box (with bedding and food) while I cleaned out their brooder. I always clean with bleach and rinse until clean (I even disinfect my brinsea eco glow heater meticulously). They ARE on unmedicated feed, though. Anyway, I noticed leaky, bloody stools in the box I’d moved them to as I was moving chicks back to the brooder. I inspected everyone’s vent, and sure enough, one chick had a bloody stool mid-check. They have electrolyte water. It seems young for coccidiosis, but I’ve also never had chicks from a big hatchery shipped to me. Should I start meds in the morning and switch their feed, too? Could it be something else?

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Were the stools bright blood red or more pinky reddish? The intestinal lining will shed naturally, and you will see pinky red stools that can be very alarming. There will be more intestinal lining shed if the chicks have been stressed, which must have happened since you lost some in the shipment.
I had this happen to a few chicks that got overheated. The reddish poops really freaked me out, but after researching and watching carefully, I realized it was intestinal lining being shed, usually just in the morning, and regular poops during the day.
So it really is a judgement call. It is unlikely that they have picked up coccidiosis, but not impossible. If you think it's coccidia, get some corid or amprolium as soon as possible. You will want treat them, not just give medicated feed.

This is intestinal shedding... looks a little mucousy. My chicks were pooping like this, but in all other ways seemed like normal active birds. I did not treat them.

This is a good article on coccidiosis. There are some more poop pics at the end, and they are not as obvious as I thought... so the chicks' behavior will help confirm one way or the other. Active chicks that are eating and drinking probably do not have it. Inactive, lethargic chicks should be treated.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coccidiosis-how-to-treat-it.64386/

Hope this helps. Keep me updated.

 

[mountainchicknewbie]

Were the stools bright blood red or more pinky reddish? The intestinal lining will shed naturally, and you will see pinky red stools that can be very alarming. There will be more intestinal lining shed if the chicks have been stressed, which must have happened since you lost some in the shipment.
I had this happen to a few chicks that got overheated. The reddish poops really freaked me out, but after researching and watching carefully, I realized it was intestinal lining being shed, usually just in the morning, and regular poops during the day.
So it really is a judgement call. It is unlikely that they have picked up coccidiosis, but not impossible. If you think it's coccidia, get some corid or amprolium as soon as possible. You will want treat them, not just give medicated feed.

This is intestinal shedding... looks a little mucousy. My chicks were pooping like this, but in all other ways seemed like normal active birds. I did not treat them.

This is a good article on coccidiosis. There are some more poop pics at the end, and they are not as obvious as I thought... so the chicks' behavior will help confirm one way or the other. Active chicks that are eating and drinking probably do not have it. Inactive, lethargic chicks should be treated.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coccidiosis-how-to-treat-it.64386/

Hope this helps. Keep me updated.

That's EXACTLY what it is. They were so lively this morning (and have been since I opened the box they were shipped in!) that I had a really hard time feeling like it was coccidiosis, and the brooder didn't have any more poop that looked pinkish red.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

That's EXACTLY what it is. They were so lively this morning (and have been since I opened the box they were shipped in!) that I had a really hard time feeling like it was coccidiosis, and the brooder didn't have any more poop that looked pinkish red.

That is good news! Enjoy your Wellies.