Do you know the cause? What to do?

[ChatKath47]

Does anyone know what would cause watery stools, particularly watery milky looking stools? I have to hose off the patio and sidewalk each day as one of my three seems to have this problem. All are healthy otherwise, eating well and free ranging in the backyard, but in the last few days I've noticed this and am concerned. Help!! Is it worth worrying about?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What is your location? Is it hot/cold where you are?
What type of foods/treats do you feed?
How old are you chickens?
Have your chickens been wormed?

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17568.0

 

[ChatKath47]

1) Washington State, south central part, chilly today, but has been in the 50-60 degree range during the day, 30's at night.
2) Feeding them a nutritious mix recommended for layers by the Coastal Farm and Ranch Store. Also adding "Rooster Booster" vitamin supplement recommended by the local Co-Op.
3) Treats are dried worms and "Pullet-Together" a scratch mix. Have given them scraps of lettuce and other vegetables - they love tomatoes - and haven't been seen to turn any of it down.
4) The three chickens are in their second year, good layers, seem to be happy and healthy. They free range in our backyard and we haven't had any earwigs since the girls came to live with us. They're always pecking and scouring the grass for bugs and worms. They eliminate the small garden slugs as they appear.

The watery dropping problem is only occasionally, seems to be slowing a bit in the last two days. I do still power spray the patio and sidewalk as they all three leave calling cards on the cement. The lawn service sprayed an organic fertilizer on the grass and told us that it is safe for chickens, cats and dogs. We kept them locked in the chicken yard for the day after to make sure and watered the grass well. Didn't have a problem after last spraying last spring, so didn't think this year's spray would be the cause.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If it continues, you may want to take a sample to your vet for a fecal float to ensure they don't have worms.
Sometimes watery stools can be "normal" (as seen in the link I posted earlier), but other issue may be the cause as well.
I would just keep an eye on them.

 

[ChatKath47]

The picture on the link you sent that says "watery" is exactly what it looks like, so am thinking she's in the range of normal. As to eating, they all three eat well, love vegetables and are not acting ill, so I'll keep an eye on them and just, for now, consider it normal....for them.

Thanks so much for including the link so I could see what the range of "normal" is - and the huge dropping is one we're seeing from one of our Amerucanas, she poops almost as large as her eggs!

The Leghorn is "Blondie", the Amerucana is "Jane" - Samantha looks like Jane, but she wasn't with us when this picture was taken - she's just a bit lighter on the back, so you can envision the three together.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Cute girls!
Wishing you the best