Broody poop questions

[gothicpicasso]

I have a momma hen who hatched some eggs about a week and a half ago. When should broody poop stop? I’m have her separated with her chicks in a dog kennel in the coop. When I go out to check on them and change water or clean up or just say hi, she poops. It’s loose/watery and green-grey and smells just as bad or worse then her broody poops that were more solid from before the hatch. I’m only worried because it appears to have changed since the hatch and is much thinner and less bulky. They have chick feed and water in the kennel and I give them a bit of scratch and veggies when I give it to the rest of the girls. I must say it was super cute to watch the baby chicks eating Thanksgiving pumpkin with momma. Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

@MGG @FortCluck @Eggcessive

 

[MGG]

I have a momma hen who hatched some eggs about a week and a half ago. When should broody poop stop? I’m have her separated with her chicks in a dog kennel in the coop. When I go out to check on them and change water or clean up or just say hi, she poops. It’s loose/watery and green-grey and smells just as bad or worse then her broody poops that were more solid from before the hatch. I’m only worried because it appears to have changed since the hatch and is much thinner and less bulky. They have chick feed and water in the kennel and I give them a bit of scratch and veggies when I give it to the rest of the girls. I must say it was super cute to watch the baby chicks eating Thanksgiving pumpkin with momma. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Is it still warm where you are? Could you post some pics? What brand of feed? I'm not sure why they'd still be that way. I've only ever had one broody, but I noticed that her poops (more than 4 months since they hatched) are still pretty large. They never went totally back to "normal". Have you noticed weird poops from any of your other birds?

 

[ackie]

if your chicks are eating more than chick starter, they need access to grit btw.

my hens still do broody poops with young chicks but it's usually the same icky poop from when they were on the nest. I've never seen it get watery. my main thought process behind your watery ones, though, could be that she does get to consume more water since shes with the chicks which could water the poop down?

 

[gothicpicasso]

I can post a pic next time she poops. I didn’t think to photo it this morning. I’ve notice no other poop issues with anyone else. Though I did notice a poop growing fuzz on top of the kennel when I cleaned it off the other day. I haven’t noticed any others growing anything.
The feed is Nature’s Best Organic Chick Starter/Grower. I’m feeding it to all the hens because, I’d planned to have the chicks fully integrated from the start, but hatch day went wrong and now I’m keeping them separated and working on integration.
I’m about as far south as you can get and not live in Florida or Texas. So it’s been warm. We are about to have a cold snap and temps will lower but the highs will be in the 50’s or 60’s.
Also I’m giving the chicks chick grit. I mix it in the feed for them. She as access to food and water all day so I’d assume she’s getting a lot more the she was before. Though I will admit I did cater her when she was on the nest. I’d bring her scratch and she’d eat of my hand then I’d bring the waterer I kept in the coop for her over so she could get a drink. Thanks for the responses and thoughts.

 

[ackie]

I believe grit is supposed to be free choice, not mixed in so they get the correct amount.

 

[gothicpicasso]

Here is a pic I just grabbed. I had to pull the poop out of the kennel. Also the small poop I think come out of one of the chicks. I’ll try to get a better poop pic. Thanks for the help.

 

[Eggcessive]

When I let a broody hatch chicks in the coop, I let them all out of the crate on day 3 so the broody can take them out and free range. The chicks need to learn to forage for food and water, and become part of the flock. The broody will protect them normally. Maybe if she gets out on grass and dirt, her poops will be more normal.

 

[gothicpicasso]

When I let a broody hatch chicks in the coop, I let them all out of the crate on day 3 so the broody can take them out and free range. The chicks need to learn to forage for food and water, and become part of the flock. The broody will protect them normally. Maybe if she gets out on grass and dirt, her poops will be more normal.

That was my plan to begin with. Hatch day went bad and I had some chicks killed. I didn’t know momma would go into a trance and not protect them as the hatched. My other d’Uccle got in the nest and went crazy. Anyway it was a bad scene, I have a post about it. That’s why I separated them. I’m have now seen momma go after one of my Barred Rocks when it came near the kennel while I had it open to clean and change water. So maybe now she will do a better job. So you say a little outside time and she might return to normal. Ok I’ll have to let them out and monitor. Thanks for the advice.