Very ill chickens

[MROO]

It's probably grasping at straws at this point, but I would get a new bag of feed, just in case. And I would scrub and bleach every feeder, waterer and roost in the place. It's just not worth taking any chances.
I wonder if your "helpers" gave the chickens any table scraps or garden waste. Most people think it's perfectly okay to give chickens leftovers, but they don't realize that they have to be fresh leftovers! Moldy tomatoes and potatoes just don't work. And lots of garden greens are toxic.

 

[HuskerHens18]

It's probably grasping at straws at this point, but I would get a new bag of feed, just in case. And I would scrub and bleach every feeder, waterer and roost in the place. It's just not worth taking any chances.
I wonder if your "helpers" gave the chickens any table scraps or garden waste. Most people think it's perfectly okay to give chickens leftovers, but they don't realize that they have to be fresh leftovers! Moldy tomatoes and potatoes just don't work. And lots of garden greens are toxic.

You're right I should do that. Try and save what's left of my beautiful birds
I interrogated them just a few minutes ago and they swear they didn't give them any table food whatsoever.
So far my bantams have avoided this, thankfully.

 

[MROO]

Well, honestly they aren't drinking as much as I expected. Usually I'm filling containers twice a day, but recently there's about half left over when I go to change it out. So of course when I refill the waterer, no one is thirsty since they've had water available.

I don't know how many you have to treat, but have you tried individually drenching them, just so you know they each got what they needed? And I'm no vet and have no idea what you do for all this nastiness, so I'm just thinking with my gut - but would extra electrolytes or something else help? Anybody have a thought on that?

 

[HuskerHens18]

I don't know how many you have to treat, but have you tried individually drenching them, just so you know they each got what they needed? And I'm no vet and have no idea what you do for all this nastiness, so I'm just thinking with my gut - but would extra electrolytes or something else help? Anybody have a thought on that?

104 left its not as many as it sounds. That's probably what I will have to do since I have no idea how much each individual is intaking. I have some Sav a chick electrolytes I could maybe give them.

 

[Kat C]

My only other thought is that if they ran out of clean water, they were probably drinking out of puddles in the yard, which could possibly have been contaminated due to runoff pesticides, waste, etc. That being said, chickens drink out of puddles in wet weather all the time, no real way to stop them, and most do just fine. It's more likely that the lack of water got them dehydrated and that stressed their systems enough so they were unable to cope with the side-effects of the antibiotics or an underlying disease/parasite that was able to get the upper hand.

I hope you get some answers from your tests and that the situation improves for your birds. I'm very sorry you are going through this.

We have several chickens that PREFER to drink muddy water. When I go around filling up waterers they follow me hoping for some spill to drink. Sometimes I just pour a bit on the ground in hopes of getting them off my back. They like that except they fight over it. Only about 4 out of 60 do this but it is funny and very very predictable. Muddy water may have more minerals and may taste better tot hem. OTOH as you not if the soil has been contaminated by pesticides that is not good.

 

[Kat C]

A question, what caused you to test for and treat Eimeria in the first place? I had actually never heard of it but used the google and found out it is just a variety of coccidiosis. Probably if our flock was tested they would show some cocci, but they have never been sick from it as far as I know.
Recently we have started feeding fermented whole grain but you can ferment pellets too. Its a bit more work, but it has various benefits including filling the gut with good bacteria just like probiotics are supposed to work. Lots on BYC about this and lots elsewhere. I particularly liked this article https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/ it notes "Prebiotics and probiotics available in feed increase resistance to disease/illnesses such as coccidia, e.coli, salmonella, flagella, etc." I can't say it makes our flock healthier since they were already healthy but hey seem to prefer it. (I feed half fermented, half not so they won't get too in love with it in case at some point I get sick myself and can't keep it going).

 

[CuriousQueen]

I like the advice above regarding electrolytes and probiotics.
I wonder if they got dehydrated and the medicine became too concentrated in their bodies.
I’m new to chickens. I just know when I get dehydrated my epilepsy medicine does a number on me. My vision goes off, dizzy, fainting etc.
if it can happen in humans, maybe it can in chickens too.

 

[MandS]

Good luck with this. Like Cat C, we have one hen who deliberately tips the water feeder so it makes a puddle. She does it all the time - like some sort of game. I was worried about it but she seems to be OK and we did wonder if she was after minerals.

 

[CuriousQueen]

Have you heard from the vet?

 

[HuskerHens18]

Okay, guys, I got a long story and no time to explain as I'm running back to the vet for the second time today. Will update when I get back, necropsy results are here.