6 week old chicks intestinal lining

[Emrosenagel]

I’ve made some posts about what’s been going on in my flock recently, and now that most of it is over, I’m having concerns about my two chicks.

A quick recap: two weeks ago, my chickens started shedding a lot of intestinal lining with some blood. The older chickens recovered, but my mama hen got really sick a week ago; green poop, shedding, blood. Pretty much on death’s door. She recovered after treatment with antibiotic/sulfa drug. Five days after she got sick, one of her chicks started pooping nothing but blood and died a day later, despite being on corid.

The chick that died showed very few signs of illness prior. I may have been more focused on the mama to notice. She was a bit slower than her siblings and, this is the part that’s worrying me now, pooped a good amount of intestinal shedding two days before she got so sick. Now, I wasn’t paying attention to her poop at the time, so I’m not sure how long she had been pooping like this.

After she passed, I started inspecting the other two chicks dropping. I found small amounts of shedding in most of their poop, sometimes more than others, sometimes none at all. I started them immediately on the same antibiotics/sulfa mom was on. That was four days ago and they act perfectly fine, eating and playing, dust bathing. The little rooster crows all the time and his sister likes to beat him up. But they are still shedding lining. None of the other chickens are shedding anymore, only the two chicks. What does this mean? They do free range and eat lots of rougher foods, but so do the other chickens. Shouldn’t the sulfa drug have taken care of the cocci by now? I don’t want them to get sick after they’re done with the ten days. I know I might be freaking out a bit, but their sister got sick so fast and I wasn’t in time to save her. I don’t want that to happen again.

 

[Emrosenagel]

They eat purine start and grow, if that is important. And they have eaten a variety of treats, including meal worms, seeds, cranberries. Maybe that could be the cause?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Do you have a picture of their poo with the lining? All chickens shed lining to a certain degree a little is normal a lot is what you need to be concerned about. Another thing to note is that cranberry skins often are passed somewhat whole and will look very similar to intestinal lining as well as adding a reddish tinge to their poop.

 

[Emrosenagel]

Do you have a picture of their poo with the lining? All chickens shed lining to a certain degree a little is normal a lot is what you need to be concerned about. Another thing to note is that cranberry skins often are passed somewhat whole and will look very similar to intestinal lining as well as adding a reddish tinge to their poop.

I don’t have a picture right now, but I can get one later. It is 100% lining, as it’s orangy and stringy. It’s just present in like every other poop everyday. Never a ton, but sometimes more and sometimes less.

 

[beautifulchick]

look for worms in their poop or if you can afford it get a fecal float test, that's all I can help with the little knowledge I have. I hope you can get more help soon.

 

[SmiYa0126]

@Wyorp Rock @azygous please help!

 

[azygous]

Coccidiosis is caused by a parasite burrowing into the intestinal lining and sucking all the thiamine from the blood. The sulfa only addresses the bacteria that often develops in the inflamed intestines, but it will not kill the parasites (coccidia). You need to put a coccidiostat (Corid in the US) in their water for five days, then in a week, another five days. It blocks the thiamine so the coccidia die of starvation. It's important not to give B vitamins containing thiamine during treatment.

 

[Emrosenagel]

Coccidiosis is caused by a parasite burrowing into the intestinal lining and sucking all the thiamine from the blood. The sulfa only addresses the bacteria that often develops in the inflamed intestines, but it will not kill the parasites (coccidia). You need to put a coccidiostat (Corid in the US) in their water for five days, then in a week, another five days. It blocks the thiamine so the coccidia die of starvation. It's important not to give B vitamins containing thiamine during treatment.

They currently have corid in their water along with the sulfa/antibiotic. I was told some strains are immune to corid, and the sulfa drug is needed in that case? Is that false information?

 

[Susan Skylark]

Coccidia reproduce inside intestinal cells and the cells explode releasing a ton of cocci into the gut and destroying the intestinal lining. Amprolium (Corid) binds up thiamine, and while sulfas are anti microbial they also bind up precursors to folic acid which is required for coccidial reproduction. Death and Ill thrift are the result of massive intestinal damage. While you can theoretically treat it, recovery can be prolonged due to gut damage and secondary bacterial infection or reduced digestive ability.

 

[Susan Skylark]

Resistance to all anti-coccidial drugs is common, including sulfa. Any herbicide, antibiotic and paraciticide develops immunity in the target population as it kills susceptible individuals leaving the resistant ones to reproduce.