runny brown poop

[raacampbell]

Hi,

One my chickens is producing runny brown poop and has been doing so for about 3 or weeks. The poop smell bad but the bird is behaving normally.

The bird is a female easter-egger. About 15 weeks old (I think). She's housed with the others and they eat unmedicated game bird crumbles. I've not made any attempt to treat it. They a have pine shavings for bedding.

Should I do anything/worry?

Rob

 

[Dazlin]

It's normal. As long as she seems o.k. I wouldn't worry.
I give mine a mixture of yogurt and cayenne pepper with double amount of water mixed in.

 

[raacampbell]

So she'll fiery runny poo?

 

[Dazlin]

Yeah I guess so. The pepper is a good pick me up. They don't have the receptors to taste the pepper, so it won't burn them. The yogurt is a good natural bacteria, and helps the intestinal tract.

 

[Sissy]

Yes the pepper is good got them ,
to many treats will cause the runny poo

 

[raacampbell]

Ah, yes, no capscaicin receptor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capscaicin

I'll fill them up with chilli with and yoghurt and see what happens because this brown crap smells really nasty.

I've not been giving treats, though.

 

[purpletree23]

Is the brown smelly poop every single poop or just once in a while. If it's just once in a while it is called a cecal poop. It comes from the chickens cecum and happens approx ever ten poops. If the smelly poops are happening all the time there could be a problem.

Give her a teaspoon of yogurt a day and try some cooked oatmeal. I don't think I would go the hot pepper route right now. Chickens might not be able to 'taste' the hotness but their digestive systems might be irritated. Is she getting crushed oyster shell and grit freechoice? Are you giving too much fruit? There are 100's of possibilities but for right now stick to the bland food and yogurt and oatmeal and see how she does.

Pine shavings are not good. It irritates the respiratory system. Use plain kiln dried wood chips from the feed store.

Keep us posted

 

[raacampbell]

Is the brown smelly poop every single poop or just once in a while. If it's just once in a while it is called a cecal poop. It comes from the chickens cecum and happens approx ever ten poops. If the smelly poops are happening all the time there could be a problem.

Oh, it could be only sometimes. I haven't checked carefully but my feeling is that it's more often than 1:10. I shall observe her butt more closely and see.

I'm not giving too much fruit. Will try the yoghurt.

No oyster shell right now because they're not laying yet. I add grit to the food every so often and they also get to scratch around for stuff in their run (which is large).​

 

[welovechickens]

My chickens have runnier messes when it is hot out. The consistency usually varies from the formed clumps, to the orange-colored goo, to runny through the day. It all STINKS to high heaven though! WHEW!!! I think that's just how chicken digestive systems work.

 

[faykokoWV]

http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

A very helpful poo link