Help with suspicious poo

[LozzyR]

Dear all

I'm a bit worried about my girls, their poo isn't looking as normal as I'd like it at the moment. A lot of is light brown and squishy, rather than dark with a white cap. The vet confirmed a tapeworm egg in a fecal float a couple of weeks ago, so I got some strong worming solution and they had a dose two weeks ago. I have to dose them again tomorrow, but just wondering if the dodgy poo is a legacy left by the worms or something else? They were all treated for coccidiosis in March. And today I found a white watery poo that looks like it has blood in it. I'll upload a photo. Any ideas?

 

[ChickNanny13]

That does look like blood in the poop yet possible intestinal lining. The watery texture could be from drinking alot of water ... You may want to have your Vet recheck to poop.

@dawg53 @azygous @Eggcessive @casportpony
Your opinions/expertise Thank you in advance

 

[Eggcessive]

It is always a bit hard to guess what is causing blood in the droppings. In young or debilitated chickens, we usually treat for possible coccidiosis with amprollium. Worm damage and enteritis may cause blood in droppings as well. When chickens drink a large amount of water, they may have runny droppings. I have notiiced that lately when I mix a lot of water into their feed. If the blood continues, I would check the droppings for coccidiosis or try some amprollium in the water.

 

[LozzyR]

It is always a bit hard to guess what is causing blood in the droppings. In young or debilitated chickens, we usually treat for possible coccidiosis with amprollium. Worm damage and enteritis may cause blood in droppings as well. When chickens drink a large amount of water, they may have runny droppings. I have notiiced that lately when I mix a lot of water into their feed. If the blood continues, I would check the droppings for coccidiosis or try some amprollium in the water.

Thanks for that. The Amprollium says you can put in the water once every four days for prevention during the possible infection period (however long that is), I was going to do that originally before we did the fecal float. I just don’t want to run to the vet every couple of weeks with a poo sample.

 

[Eggcessive]

Chickens usually build up a tolerance to the coccidia organism somewhere between 11-20 weeks old, unless they have a problem with immunity. Keeping droppings cleaned up and having dry bedding/clean grass to walk on helps decrease the exposure.

 

[LozzyR]

Chickens usually build up a tolerance to the coccidia organism somewhere between 11-20 weeks old, unless they have a problem with immunity. Keeping droppings cleaned up and having dry bedding/clean grass to walk on helps decrease the exposure.

I de-poo their bedding daily but raking out the run and the grass is problematic. We’ve got a big back yard so not sure how much they’re re-infecting themselves. I do wonder though. I need a new composting system so the heat of the compost kills off worm eggs/organisms. Once I have some more time to myself I’m going to dig some big holes, bury the compost and start again, maybe get a tumbler as well.

They also get breakfast which alternates between sardines in oil, oats and yoghurt and porridge made with milk (trying to keep up the calcium so my older Isas don’t get egg peritonitis; they eat around the shell grit in the feed, the little buggers!). That would have more water in it and I’ve read their poos can get runny with more water. They also like their grass when they free-range.