Black Poo

[aggieterpkatie]

I've got 8 buff (well, one slate) turkeys, about 8 weeks old. They have black poo, and it's pretty runny. Is that normal? I don't remember any of my turkeys (or chickens) having black poop. They have all seemed to be acting fine, until today. One of them didn't go in the barn last night and I locked him out on accident. He was laying on the ground this morning and was pretty lethargic. It stormed last night, so I don't know if that did something to him, or if he's just sick. My main worry is the black poop though.

 

[TV]

It could just be what they are eating; are they free range? Here in Kansas where I'm at the mulberries are ripening and my free range poults are gorging themselves on them and producing a lot of runny, black poo. you can almost see them growing in front of you too.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Yes, they're free ranging, but I'm not sure of any berries out there they could be getting.

 

[Frosty]

Is it always black, or are you just seeing some black looking 'pudding poops'? Because sometimes turkeys do what I have heard referred to as a cecal dump. It scared me the first time I saw it, but I was told that it's normal. Mine would do that ocassionally, then do normal poops the rest of the time.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Quote:
Hmm...I'm not really sure. I'll have to pay closer attention. All I know is there is a lot of black poo around and in my barn...but I'll have to see if I can figure out if it's every time or just sometimes.