young guineas sick

Misty · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 10:16 pm

I have some young guineas - about 12 weeks old. At present I have 3 of them separated. They are thin, fluffed up, listless and a bit wobbly on their feet. Their poo is palish yellow and a bit frothy. I have had the group of about 13 contained as they were being chased by the large guineas and 3 of them died. They have plenty of room in their house and I am building an extra pen to take the young ones.
I seem to have been getting a lot of coccidiosis in all my young birds this year...not to mention lice in all the pens. (Presume the hot/wet/cold weather is not helping.)
Not sure if this is cocc. as they seem to have been through that stage. They are eating and drinking - but minimally and losing weight each day. I have actually been force feeding one of them and it is still alive, but I am not sure I am doing it any favours. They don't have lice and have been wormed.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

parvo · **Joined:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm **Posts:** 735

Hi Misty,

Sounds like a bacterial infection but you'd really need to get the droppings tested by a vet and the chicks examined to find out. It could also be secondary to the previous coccidiosis episode.

It is difficult to suggest a medication because we don't really know the cause, and there are limited antibiotics available over the counter without a prescription. However, I would suggest a sulpha-based drug if you can get it. The poultry one has been taken off the market but there are ones for caged birds ( eg sulpha 3). This one has the added benefit of helping with any residual coccidiosis.

The only other one is a tetracycline antibiotic ( oxytetracycline or chlortetracycline) but this is usually less effective for gut infections.

You may also have to review your overall management. Make sure the birds aren't overcrowded, have easy access to good quality food & fresh water and that you hygiene is spot on. A dry floor also helps to reduce the incidence of these diseases.

Good luck

Misty · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 8:08 pm

Thanks Parvo. I probably wont end up going the antibiotic way...hard to organise here. I have sulpha quin and another thing called Baycox (which I haven't used yet as it looks a little lethal). I am raising them for meat and would like to keep away from as much medicine as possible. They grow in a warm dry brooder and are not overcrowded. Once they are 2-3 weeks old they have been put into a movable pen so that they have fresh grass under them and are moved twice a day. But we have had extremely wet weather and although the sheltered areas in their pens are dry, they do huddle in there together each night to get away from the rain.
I have now moved them all into a large shed, which is off the ground and dry and I am creating a wired in free range area for them to graze. I am just feeling a little discouraged at the number of things that seem to go wrong with them - I don't seem to have a handle on the incubation process - end up with about 50% success and their little legs seem very delicate and become splayed quite easily. I have been feeding them chick starter for the first 4 weeks - should I keep them on it longer - or move over to turkey starter maybe? My feeling is that it is coccid and once they have it, no matter how much they are taken care of....it's all over rover.

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