What does cocidiosis actually look like?

[Bpohlmann93]

All pee passes with droppings.. and get more in hot weather.. what is your temps? What other symptoms are you seeing? Have you ever wormed?

Do you have a picture.. some shed intestinal lining may appear similar to blood.. but coccidiosis blood is a LOT.. and only 1 or 2 of the 9-11 strains known to effect poultry *may* appear as blood in droppings, and not every dropping even then.

Is she still eating and drinking? What is her age, breed, and feed routine including treats and supplements? When was her last egg? Are you in the US?

Is she staying with her flock or separating herself? What you describe so far.., doesn't constitute "suffering". But let's see if we can help you assess the situation.

ETA: coccidiosis often looks like a bird standing around with feathers puffed up, head and neck pulled in toward the chest and little to no appetite or drinking. If veterinary fecal float is an option then it's easy to find out if the "load" is too heavy for her immune system.. since coccidia are always present.. and "osis" in the instance of coccidiosis indicates an overgrowth of their population.

I did put a photo in there and am in the US. I'm honestly not sure what breed she is I believe Easter egger. And I starter them on the kalmach feed feather blume and the kalbach henhouse reserve all natural 17 percent protein. I started fermenting it but I put their ground up egg shells in with their feed. I always do this whether I ferment or not. And then I put rosemary, tyme and oregano in with the fermented feed right now because the weather here has been cold and warm, and constantly changing. Then in their water I either put the recover 911 or rooster booster vitamins and electrolytes with lactobacillis and apple cider vinegar. I alternate between those two. And add apple cider vinegar. Treats I usually just give them meal worms or scrambled eggs every once in a while. Or blueberries or watermelon in the summer.

 

[Bpohlmann93]

The fluid also could come from ascites fluid if not from the GI tract. Is her lower belly under the vent enlarged and full?

Honestly I'm not really sure how to tell? I don't think so. I soaked her in Epsom salt yesterday to look at her vent and get all the poo off her and everything. It looks weird with the feathers moved out of the way. And it felt kind of firm yesterday. I'm hoping I'm talking about the right thing.

 

[Bpohlmann93]

The fluid also could come from ascites fluid if not from the GI tract. Is her lower belly under the vent enlarged and full?

Honestly I'm not really sure how to tell? I don't think so. I soaked her in Epsom salt yesterday to look at her vent and get all the poo off her and everything. It looks weird with the feathers moved out of the way. And it felt kind of firm yesterday. I'm hoping I'm talking about the right thing.

 

[Bpohlmann93]

Can you tell us how old the hen is, if she is laying eggs, and perhaps post photos of her poop and herself as she looks? Is she eating or drinking? Hens don’t pee, but pass uric acid crystals in the droppings (ie-the white cap.) Coccidiosis is possible in a run down sick chicken, but it is most common in young chickens 3-12 weeks old. Many vets will check a fecal float on some fresh droppings brought in.

She is a little over a year old. We don't have any vets around here that do it. I wanted it done when I brought in two brahma hens to be sure. But we just kept them separated for 3 weeks.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I alternate between those two. And add apple cider vinegar.

So when do they get good ol' plain, unadulterated, life sustaining, water?

Sorry.. the point is clear if you've seen the movie "idiocracy". NO rudeness intended.. Just the proclamation that water is enough and "electrolytes" and nutrients come from the food.

I put their ground up egg shells in with their feed.

If ground to fine may be irrelevant. Particle size matters. On the side is fun enrichment.

This is her now. She wants to be active and moving around.

I'd return her to her flock if it were me, since separation is a stressor, and keep an eye to see if anything develops. Behavior *can* be a good indicator. What you describe.. isn't fitting with coccidiosis. (at THIS point)

Honestly I'm not really sure how to tell? I don't think so. I soaked her in Epsom salt yesterday to look at her vent and get all the poo off her and everything. It looks weird with the feathers moved out of the way. And it felt kind of firm yesterday. I'm hoping I'm talking about the right thing.

It sounds like you are talking about the right things. For informational purposes.. ingesting Epsom water (magnesium) is a known flush and may cause. diarrhea. Some supplements contain molasses and in the wrong consumption amount or concentration levels may also cause diarrhea.

When you give them rosemary, thyme, and oregano.. how can it work when you need it too? The weather has been warming and cooling for ever.. and animals everywhere are surviving.. Is it POSSIBLE you are doing too much? Maybe taking it back to basics is a good place to start. Dry feed and fresh water!

Please always do what YOU feel is best for your flock. And I know you are.. that statement is only to say, I'm only trying to offer other points of view and possibilities but am not an expert.

I hope this resolves quickly for you both!

 

[Bpohlmann93]

Okay. I can try that. She seems like she would much rather be out there. And also I'm new to this whole chicken mom thing. But I did have two big water dishes out there. One did have plain water in it. And the other had the vitamins. Then food same. Cuz I read roosters only really eat what they need. So with the food I had two also, one with the mash and one with just plain food, I probably should have specified that with the other comment. Lol But your probably right. I over worried with the new chickens being brought in I think. Lol

 

[Bpohlmann93]

Also earlier when I took her out of the crate to put her back outside there was small little square rock shapes which looked like possibly glass in her poop. It was clear and hard. But not really sharp. But there were a couple pieces. I've never seen that in any of my other chickens poo. Could this maybe be a factor as well? Shes only had one Epsom salt bath and she didn't drink any of the water. She really wasn't too thrilled about it. Tbh. It was like a 5 min thing. And Okay so back to basics. Got it. and eggshells on the side. Not in feed. Should they be ground or just kind crushed a bit?

 

[WingsysRoost]

I have a chicken with chronic water belly (not really sure why, but the milk thistle and dandelion root helps her, thankfully). She is noticeably swollen if I put my hand underneath her (between her legs and a little bit back as well), even without being compared to other chickens, but if you aren't sure, you can check a few others as well to see if there is a difference.

Apologies if I missed this, but have you checked her weight and body condition? If you feel her front, you should be able to find her keel bone - it shouldn't feel like there is a ton of extra padding around it, but she also shouldn't feel extremely thin either. Also, have you checked for mites? Infestations can happen quickly and can cause birds to look generally unwell if they get bad enough. Too much protein can also cause loose poops, although this is less likely if she is looking and acting unwell. Yeast issues (sour crop and vent gleet) can do the same, and can be hard to catch before the birds starts showing the really obvious symptoms.

Something else to watch out for would be a respiratory infection of some kind, since you mentioned that she was wheezing.

I hope this helps!

Okay. I can try that. She seems like she would much rather be out there. And also I'm new to this whole chicken mom thing. But I did have two big water dishes out there. One did have plain water in it. And the other had the vitamins. Then food same. Cuz I read roosters only really eat what they need. So with the food I had two also, one with the mash and one with just plain food, I probably should have specified that with the other comment. Lol But your probably right. I over worried with the new chickens being brought in I think. Lol

Definitely watch if you put her out that they aren't picking on her - sometimes if they are feeling unwell, other members of the flock will start to pick on them and could hurt her if this is the case. If they're leaving her alone, she will likely feel better being with her flock, unless she is really unwell.

Also earlier when I took her out of the crate to put her back outside there was small little square rock shapes which looked like possibly glass in her poop. It was clear and hard. But not really sharp. But there were a couple pieces. I've never seen that in any of my other chickens poo. Could this maybe be a factor as well? Shes only had one Epsom salt bath and she didn't drink any of the water. She really wasn't too thrilled about it. Tbh. It was like a 5 min thing. And Okay so back to basics. Got it. and eggshells on the side. Not in feed. Should they be ground or just kind crushed a bit?

Do you happen to have a photo? It might just be grit or something from her crop that is being expelled. Sometimes, things like that are more noticeable when they aren't well, especially with paying closer attention to them.

For eggshells, I normally crush into smallish pieces, not finely ground but not giant either.

 

[Bpohlmann93]

Okay so I don't I have a picture but i found a similiar post on here of someone who found the same thing. I do believe it to be glass. But ill see if i can find the puppy pad with it on there. Our head rooster mounted her as soon as she was back outside. She vomited clear liquid while he was doing his thing. That was a first. She's still pooping out clear liquid. She did lay an egg. Though too. Idk if that matters. They have access to dumor grit in a seperate container in their run as well. Our little younger roo is chasing her around and bugging her. Older roo is breaking it up. The girls don't seem to mind her too much currently.

 

[Bpohlmann93]

She also seems to be doing normal chicken things. So it's really just confusing.