Please Help... I'm Stumped About Hens' Chronic Loose Poo and Night Laying

[GRB73]

I can't figure out what to do to help my chickens.

My beautiful white Wyandotte hen (5 y.o.) has been having chronic loose poos since last summer. For the most part, the brown part is solid (sometimes a little mushy) and the white cap is runny. I had her checked for worms in August and again this week. Both samples came away negative for parasites. I also asked for a test for bacteria, but was told they don't run those tests. My other two hens have also started with the same loose poo.

This is where it gets strange. The Wyandotte starting laying again on Monday, which is early in the season for her. She usually takes a break between November and late February. Her first egg came at night or early in the morning (pre 7 am). The next day, the egg came at 10 am, which is normal. I was so happy, it was a beautiful egg. Unfortunately, the last three nights she has been laying "something" at night. She goes to bed at night on the nest box and the next morning there is a white mess but no egg or shells. Otherwise, she seems healthy. Red comb, bright eyes, no discharge anywhere. But her butt is a mess from whatever she is passing in the night. We clean and dry her bottom each day and the next morning it is nasty again.

All three hens are eating All Flock with oyster shells and grit offered separately. I've cut out nearly all treats, except for1 tsp. of raw sunflower seeds in the morning. They free range about 1-2 hours per day but there is nothing much out so they mainly peck at the grass. We are in SE PA and the weather has been bizarre --alternating between early spring temps and snow squalls.

I am fortunate to have a poultry vet about 30 minutes from me but I wonder if she could do anything for her and her sisters? I wanted to start on BYC because there are so many experienced chicken owners. I'm all ears if anyone has had experience with chickens and chronic poo/night laying. Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Please post some photos of her, the poop and what she's leaving overnight (the egg?)

With her coming back into lay along with her age she may be having a bit of trouble getting back into the swing of things or this could be an indication of the beginning of reproductive problems.

I would be inclined to give her a direct dose of poultry vitamins like Poultry Cell, twice a week at a rate of 1cc per 3 pounds of weight.
I would also give her 1/2 Caltrate (with D3) for 3-5 days.
See if this makes a difference.

Does she not roost? Has she always slept on the nesting box or is this a new behavior?
Clean up her bum as needed if she's messy.

 

[GRB73]

Please post some photos of her, the poop and what she's leaving overnight (the egg?)

With her coming back into lay along with her age she may be having a bit of trouble getting back into the swing of things or this could be an indication of the beginning of reproductive problems.

I would be inclined to give her a direct dose of poultry vitamins like Poultry Cell, twice a week at a rate of 1cc per 3 pounds of weight.
I would also give her 1/2 Caltrate (with D3) for 3-5 days.
See if this makes a difference.

Does she not roost? Has she always slept on the nesting box or is this a new behavior?
Clean up her bum as needed if she's messy.

Thank you! I'll get pictures tomorrow morning. How do you give the Caltrate? Crushed in her food?

The nestbox thing is new to her. She normally roosts at night. And she's not new to egg problems, either. Last summer it was touch and go-- she'd produce healthy eggs for a day or two, then soft eggs, then shell-less eggs. Repeat. She was a very productive layer the first 3.5 years of her life. We could always count on 5-6 eggs per week.

I wish she would stop making eggs altogether so she wouldn't have these problems. Our girl is a sweet hen, queen bee of the coop and very talkative.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you! I'll get pictures tomorrow morning. How do you give the Caltrate? Crushed in her food?

The nestbox thing is new to her. She normally roosts at night. And she's not new to egg problems, either. Last summer it was touch and go-- she'd produce healthy eggs for a day or two, then soft eggs, then shell-less eggs. Repeat. She was a very productive layer the first 3.5 years of her life. We could always count on 5-6 eggs per week.

I wish she would stop making eggs altogether so she wouldn't have these problems. Our girl is a sweet hen, queen bee of the coop and very talkative.

You can add it to her feed or just pop the tablet into her beak and let her swallow it.

OK. So she's had a few issues in her past so likely it's starting that cycle over. Since she's stopped roosting, I would feel her abdomen below the vent between her legs for bloat or fluid.

 

[GRB73]

I washed and dried her bum feathers. I could smell egg so she is laying at night.

Her belly felt like my other chickens' bellies. A little loose, a little firm. I haven't spent much time exploring that area so I can't say for sure if there is or isn't bloat. I'll try the Caltrate for extra calcium.

 

[GRB73]

UPDATE--Fingers crossed but I think I figured out the problem. Too much protein in the feed (kind of suspected this). In late fall, I switched them to Purina Flock Raiser which is 20% protein, but little or no calcium (my girls take the winter off from laying so they don't need the extra calcium). Three weeks ago, I switched them back to layer feed, with 16% protein. The loose, smelly poos have been replaced with normal poos and normal egg laying has slowly started again. The ladies are entering their sixth year of laying, so I don't expect much from them as far as eggs. I wish I could get chicks this spring but our yard is small and truthfully, I don't think I'm even allowed 3 hens. I just have awesome neighbors who tolerate egg calls. Now I need to find an all flock crumble with 16% protein that is low in calcium since they don't lay as much as they did when younger. Always a new challenge with chickens!