What's wrong with Wasabi?

[ArianDolympia]

I don't see the protein percentage of the feed on the bag. It's Country Road brand, called Starter/ Grower Medicated with Emprolium.I got it from Rural King . The lady who I bought the new batch of chickens fed them and I didn't want to change it.

 

[ArianDolympia]

It's 18% protein.

 

[ArianDolympia]

If that was the case, then what should I do? I only have 2 kinds of Feeds. Purina Layer and Country Road Starter/Grower Medicated Crumble. In the past 2 months , I made several trips to the Vet. Each time,my girls died within a week after. My budget can only get so far. I am desperate

 

[cottagecheese]

They are very fragile and we really love them from the bottom of our hearts (at least some of us do) so of course when they are sick...

About the starter - the protein level is ok but the amprolium in it is not.

The poop pic is unfortunately trouble I'm afraid. I believe this is the chain of events: too much calcium led to kidney impairment led to uric acid floating around instead of being eliminated led to the uric acid crystals 'scraping' the intestines led to necrotic enteritis.

This is a gross link https://fieldcasestudy.com/2017/05/07/necrotic-enteritis/ but the orangeish poop pic they show and our 'pink jelly' .

I have to go now (have a sick one too) but I promise I'll be back in a few hours and leave a detailed comment. I see @casportpony is on and I trust her and @azygous.

 

[ArianDolympia]

I hope yours is going to be ok.

 

[azygous]

First of all, don't feel like a terrible person for feeding layer feed to a pullet. Lots of us have made that mistake, and very rarely do chickens suffer ill effects.

I have living proof of this. I still have one of the first three chicks I ever raised, and I fed them the same layer feed as the two adult hens I had adopted. This hen is now twelve years old and going strong. I learned my lesson and now caution new chicken people to feed all flock feed to a mixed flock rather than trying to juggle layer feed for just the laying hens.

I would like you to test that red in that poop with a drop of peroxide and see if it fizzes. If it does, it's blood and this hen may have coccidiosis. Can you go do that now?

 

[ArianDolympia]

Unfortunately, I cleaned it out and put fresh pine shavings in the box for her.I think Wasabi will drop more by tomorow morning. I will make sure to test it then.

 

[azygous]

Okay. It looked like blood to me. Often poop will have discarded intestinal lining, which is a normal occurrence, but it's a more pinkish orange color and doesn't react to peroxide.

Do you have any Corid on hand? I hope so because nothing will be open tomorrow due to the Big Religious Holiday commemorating the Easter Bunny. If you have any chicken friends, ask them if they have any. It's essential to get her, as well as all your chickens, started on amprolium asap. Coccidiosis is a very fast paced disease and especially when blood is present in the stool like that, it indicates a secondary bacterial infection is quickly destroying the intestinal lining.

This hen in particular, should you confirm the blood in the stool, should also get an antibiotic as well in order to fight this bacterial infection. Sulfa drugs are the best thing to fight this type of infection and should be used along with the Corid. Waiting too long to treat can result in permanent damage to the intestines and even death. If you don't have access to a sulfa antibiotic, any antibiotic is better than nothing.

 

[cottagecheese]

@azygous In order to help elucidate completely the matter, both for the OP and for the advancement of the hive-mind, can I ask why you think coccidiosis in a 7mo who has lived there all her life. Wouldn't she already have immunity? Could it be the stress of 'point of lay' added to the mishap with excess calcium intake, could this have suddenly lowered her immunity? Or is it more like a 'all labs are closed, let's cover all bases, amprolium can't do much harm' type of thing?

Then, we both agree it's necrotic enteritis, but based on our different personal experiences, we have different explanations for it. You see it as a consequence of coccidiosis. I recently saw blood tests of a non laying hen after she ate layer for three months, the uric acid was very high, so this stayed with me and I wrote above my understanding of the chain of events that took place.

OP, what (if any) antibiotics you have available?

 

[azygous]

@azygous In order to help elucidate completely the matter, both for the OP and for the advancement of the hive-mind, can I ask why you think coccidiosis in a 7mo who has lived there all her life. Wouldn't she already have immunity? Could it be the stress of 'point of lay' added to the mishap with excess calcium intake, could this have suddenly lowered her immunity? Or is it more like a 'all labs are closed, let's cover all bases, amprolium can't do much harm' type of thing?

Then, we both agree it's necrotic enteritis, but based on our different personal experiences, we have different explanations for it. You see it as a consequence of coccidiosis. I recently saw blood tests of a non laying hen after she ate layer for three months, the uric acid was very high, so this stayed with me and I wrote above my understanding of the chain of events that took place.

OP, what (if any) antibiotics you have available?

Yes on both being possible. There are nine different species of coccidia. Just as with avian viruses, coccidia can be transported to different locales on the bottom of peoples shoes, on vehicles, on borrowed garden implements, wild animals ranging from one coccidia locale to another. These things get around.

In necrotic enteritis, depending on the bacteria that has colonized the irritated intestinal lining, it can be one of a number of different kinds, but one of the most common and virulent is Clostridium, which moves at lightening speed to destroy a chicken's intestines.

Yes, to your question. A combination of amprolium and an antibiotic would be wise to target both possibilities since we are only "virtual vets" here, not able to diagnose with any real certainty. We aim to save a chicken's life.