This morning, as I was cleaning out the coop, I noticed a red stringy substance on one of the feces.
I have 6 Bielefelder chickens who are going to be six months old this weekend, and none of them have started laying yet. I have done a lot of reading about this breed, and I know some of you folks have Bielefelders who didn't start laying until 32 weeks. I took the feces sample to the veterinarian this morning, and she confirmed that it is "fibrin blood clots". She said it could be from eating rough material, reproductive problems, bacteria, or egg laying problems.
I am waiting for a call back from her to let her know how old they are, and that they haven't started laying yet. Obviously, I have no clue which of my girls have this issue, and I don't see any blood near their vents.
The only treats I give them are cut up blueberries, and scraped out pie pumpkins, which are filled with the seeds, oats, water, a garlic clove, and a tablespoon of sorghum molasses. All blended to a thick soupy consistency.
So, after that lengthy explanation, here is my question....... Do chickens sometimes have this issue maybe days, or weeks before they start laying? They are becoming very interested in the nesting boxes, and move the fake eggs around. This afternoon I found one of the fake eggs buried in the bedding in the coop, lol. I always put the fake eggs back in the boxes, so they get the drift.
As I wait for the vet to call me back, any insight will be very much appreciated. Thank you!
P.S. I am new to this forum, so I hope I posted this in the right place.
I have 6 Bielefelder chickens who are going to be six months old this weekend, and none of them have started laying yet. I have done a lot of reading about this breed, and I know some of you folks have Bielefelders who didn't start laying until 32 weeks. I took the feces sample to the veterinarian this morning, and she confirmed that it is "fibrin blood clots". She said it could be from eating rough material, reproductive problems, bacteria, or egg laying problems.
I am waiting for a call back from her to let her know how old they are, and that they haven't started laying yet. Obviously, I have no clue which of my girls have this issue, and I don't see any blood near their vents.
The only treats I give them are cut up blueberries, and scraped out pie pumpkins, which are filled with the seeds, oats, water, a garlic clove, and a tablespoon of sorghum molasses. All blended to a thick soupy consistency.
So, after that lengthy explanation, here is my question....... Do chickens sometimes have this issue maybe days, or weeks before they start laying? They are becoming very interested in the nesting boxes, and move the fake eggs around. This afternoon I found one of the fake eggs buried in the bedding in the coop, lol. I always put the fake eggs back in the boxes, so they get the drift.
As I wait for the vet to call me back, any insight will be very much appreciated. Thank you!P.S. I am new to this forum, so I hope I posted this in the right place.
