Chicken(s) have grainy poop, not laying

rkinley

Songster
5 Years
Mar 6, 2016
94
74
121
Big Sandy, Texas
I have 4 chickens. 3 RIR, 1 Buff Orp.
8 months old. I was getting 4 eggs/day, then 3, then 2 now today only 1.

I see some normal poops, but more and more I'm seeing wet, orangish/brick (no blood, not overly red) splats that look like they have grainy texture. I've looked at all the poop pics and found nothing that it resembles.

We have treated for Cocci (just in case) with Corid and for worms with Wazine 17 for 3 days so far. Cleaned coop, raked feeding area.

They eat layer feed. We used to give them wild bird seed but got the idea that it had too much protein so stopped that a couple weeks ago.

One girl stopped laying possibly 2 weeks ago, yesterday we got 2, today only one.

They are all eating and drinking, the run is very large with grass, so they forage for bugs. None even look sick! Help!!

Any ideas?
 
Seems laying started to drop off when you stopped feeding the bird seed, which is a good thing, but perhaps your hens don't like their layer feed. Do you see them eating it? Anything different, like a change in feeding can cause them to stop laying for a bit. Hens also are beginning to slow down production after the spring increase. Some hens will take also take breaks, especially as it gets warmer.

I don't know about poop consistency. I tend to go by behaviors. Poop can change based on what they are eating, and how much they are drinking.
 
Thank you for replying!

I do see them eating it. I can say we changed to Purina "crumbles" from Purina "not-crumbles..." lol I don't know what they are called. But both are layer feeds.

Also, we did not administer the de-worming yet, I was mistaken about that.

We also have 10 3 week old chicks that I have in a brooder/pen in the garage. I plan to put them put them out in the "pen within the run" in a week or so and now I'm worried about that.
 
I understand the worry. You put so much into raising them that it can be hard to move them to the coop. I always go by behaviors whether there's a sick chicken. I think looking at poop will drive you crazy. It's unlikely that all your birds would become sick at once, usually it's one here or there.

Various stressors will cause a halt in laying. If it's all of them than I might suspect mice, or a predator sniffing around. Other things like suddenly loud sounds from construction or loud children can cause a halt in laying.

I would continue with your plans of getting your chicks out for at least the daytime. I have yet to see an illness kill multiple birds in my flock. I keep anywhere from 50-100 chickens, plus ducks and turkeys.
 

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