Solitary chicken - need advice

[mimi5]

Could my Tilly have cocci? I've been having issues with the girls since Florence was PTS in jan. Terrible feather plucking/eating and bullying. Tilly has suffered the worst of it at the hands of her sister Polly!!!!

 

Well, long story short I've tried everything and as a last resort even got another boy. I was feeling confident it was going well, Max treading them all, nothing to see when ever I observed them and even better with as much free range time as poss (easier with long evenings ) But, it soon became apparent this was only in daylight hours, as even with nettex anti-peck on them Tilly (worse affected, but Martha too) was losing more and more of the few feathers she had regrown with each night !!!! Then both she and Martha were looking poorly and had diarrhoea. Off to the vet, but Tilly was freaking out in the carrier so only Martha went. Lovely Sarah the vet said Tylan for 5 days for all. I also went back a step and removed Polly to the classic alongside the cube. That seemed to help straight away.

 

So they are better (day 3 of Tylan) but I have seen some strange poos with blood in them (not lots and the caecal poos look a dark orange). Martha's poos are fine again, but I think it could be Tilly. She was very fluffed up, pale and sleepy as well as the diarrhoea. I thought it was stress related. Oh they were all wormed last month as usual with flubenvet

 

So I have some coxiod and could treat, but they are still on Tylan. Could she get better without treatment? Should they all get treated? Of course it's a bank holiday and I'm back to work for 3 days straight from tomorrow too!

 

Please Help!

[Beantree]

I think the poos could be normal shedding of the gut lining Mimi5. Cocci I have seen is all blood and a bird looking very pale. I wouldn't give them treatment until you are more certain it is necessary.

[mimi5]

Thanks Beantree I have seen shed gut lining before....it doesn't look like that. I'm a bit paranoid...but in my defense I've had some bad luck in my coming up for 3 years of chicken keeping ( myco, random digestive illness, sudden death, Marek's and now feather plucking and bulling )

 

Been having issues with eggs too. Soft shelled and shell less Putting it down to stress. It has to be Martha and/or Tilly as Polly lays tan coloured eggs and is separate now anyway-egg this morning. Penny laid me an egg today hers are slightly pointed. Molly in the anti-broody coop-day 2. So 1 shell less in the poo tray this am.

 

She seems better with everyday and Martha too. So while I was cleaning the run(wood chip) the chickens were out. Poo pick, dust the run with DE and stalosan f, then a good turning over On my way across the garden I found a shell less egg in the grass Arrrgh feeling jinxed.

[Mrs_B]

Oh no, Mimi! I really understand exactly how you feel - bullying is so horrid and anything else on top is a nightmare.

 

One of my girls was in an animal hospital today as her crop was full of liquid and her poos liquid and bloody/green - we found she has coccidiosis again and from what you describe I would think maybe it's the lining of the gut, so I am with Beantree. My experience of this condition is green poos, runny with some blood in.

 

Have you tried something like Avipro which helps with good bacteria if they are on antibiotics? That might help.

 

Back on the subject of bullying I think as long as you are always trying something to fix it you have to except sometimes how some flocks are. Mine have been a nightmare for over 18 months now, and when I took Big Sister to the vets this morning she had no feathers on her neck and bottom, and her white feathers spotted with purple spray - a bit of a mess! I thought maybe it was mites, but evidence from today suggests otherwise as she was completely clear. Keep trying!! I am separating the main bully in a cage again after she lays to try and change behaviour Good luck! xx