Anyway to harden the stool of my chickens? Recommended probiotics?

[SavvySilkieMom]

Hi there friends,
So I am in need of a recommendation for probiotics for my chickens.
I am trying to harden their stools. They are not diarrhea per say, but are mostly very very soft and messy. I know that the strain Bacillus subtilis is extremely helpful in hardening stool especially diarrhea.
Any probiotics you can recommend that have this strain specifically?
Or have you had any luck with hardening stools for easier clean up any other way?

I know their poop is healthy and so are they, just want some easier to clean poo

 

[Amer]

Grains are known to harden up stool. Many showmen will feed scratch grains before a show to prevent the birds from making a mess of themselves. Perhaps adding grain to their regular feed would help.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I see I didnt know about the protein factor.
So since my chicks are on starter feed and that has more protein than the feed adult chickens get is that maybe why their poo is a bit runny?

Chicks can have looser stools. Brands of feed can affect it too. I feed all my birds an 18% protein ration. When I add extras like scrambled eggs they will get looser stools. I assume it's the protein, but it could be the water content of eggs now that I think about it more.

Do you feed anything extra? Maybe try a different brand?

I personally didn't know about grit that contains probiotics. So I'm learning something too.

 

[aart]

Any probiotics you can recommend that have this strain specifically?

First let's look at what all and how exactly you are feeding them.
Might also help to see some pics of you what you think is 'too soft'.
Not sure why anyone would think that 'probiotics' would firm up the poops<scratcheshead>

 

[Blooie]

I’m old and easily confused here. But if your chickens are otherwise healthy, bright-eyed, active, and eating well, why are you concerned about the consistency of their poop? If they have other issues going on, you don’t make mention of it in your original post. Chicken poop isn’t supposed to be hard. And normal cecal poops can easily be mistaken for diarrhea when in fact they are anything but.

i don’t give probiotics to healthy birds. Never made much sense to me to take a balanced system and un-balance it one way or the other. Too much of a “good thing” isn’t always a good thing either. There’s probably a reason the back of most of the packages on electrolytes, probiotics, Save-a-Chick, and Nutri-Drench say that they are for use in sick, injured, or stressed birds, for short term use only, and that clean, untreated water should also be made available to them during treatment. But then, I’m old and easily confused.

 

[Amer]

This is great to know! I had no idea that they only need 12-14%..
My grower feed is 19% So Should I mix this oats with the pellets to lower protein intake?

No, if they have a little too much it’s fine. Since it is grower feed. @Mossy Dell means adult birds, and even then, I’d say 16 percent is closer to what they need.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Consistency of poop is usually from the diet. More moisture and water and you get looser poops. Also more protein will often loosen the stools.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Probiotic infused grit to help with digestion will help. It's a Dumor brand.

 

[SavvySilkieMom]

First let's look at what all and how exactly you are feeding them.
Might also help to see some pics of you what you think is 'too soft'.
Not sure why anyone would think that 'probiotics' would firm up the poops<scratcheshead>

Well Probiotics are used in humans to harden stool like opposite of a stool softener.
Its used in people with ulcerative colitis and IBS for loose stools. It produces more of a firm stool. I dont have any poo pics but I know its healthy poo based off of the famous poo chart.

I guess we will see what happens. I stumbled upon a probiotic that claims to do so, so I will update soon!

 

[SavvySilkieMom]

Thanks everyone for your replies!