Chickens Having Exclusively Cecal Droppings

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

Depending on the kind of bread ( ingredients, homemade) it can cause diarrhea, so I would stop feeding it for now.

If your current chicken feed does not contain any corn it would be ok to let them have a little as treat maybe twice a week
You can also add a bit of natural greek yoghurt to their normal chicken feed and serve it in a shallow dish as a treat.

how much would be a normal amount? 1 ounce per chicken? I've been wondering, but as they aren't laying yet I don't want to give them too much calcium. The bread has been store bought whole grain and it's been a saturday treat for them, but I'll definitely stop if it makes them have runny poos! We do have quinoa which I've given them a tiny bit before, but I've also read that too much protein is actually not great for them, and that's why most feeds sold have around a 16-18% protein percentage.

 

[LaFleche]

how much would be a normal amount? 1 ounce per chicken? I've been wondering, but as they aren't laying yet I don't want to give them too much calcium. The bread has been store bought whole grain and it's been a saturday treat for them, but I'll definitely stop if it makes them have runny poos! We do have quinoa which I've given them a tiny bit before, but I've also read that too much protein is actually not great for them, and that's why most feeds sold have around a 16-18% protein percentage.

The amount depends on the number of birds.

The percentage of raw protein you find on a feed bag tag does not say anything about the actual digestability and absorbtion. And often poultry feed does not contain animal protein which among other functions is essential for proper feather growth.

As your feed does already contain animal protein in form of fish meal I would just add a tablespoon of greek yoghurt twice a week, mix it well with one or two handful of their normal feed to coat it and all will be well.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Better stop feeding additional corn as it is often the main ingredient in their commercial feed already and overdosing can easily lead to fatty liver disease.

The feed is corn, & Soy free.

 

[MysteryChicken]

they don't have corn in their current feed, but that's what I thought. I do sometimes give them each 1/4th slice of bread on some off days, but it's not all that often. I have not given them corn yet as I heard it's a filler that's not all that good for them, but I'm generally new to the whole chicken thing and want to treat my flock right

Corn is used as a filler yes, it has both it's pros, & cons. Pros is that it is nutritious, Cons is it is hight in carbs, & fat. With it's fat, & carbs being high, it needs to be fed as more of that as a treat if given out, like once a week, or every other week.

 

[MysteryChicken]

how much would be a normal amount? 1 ounce per chicken? I've been wondering, but as they aren't laying yet I don't want to give them too much calcium. The bread has been store bought whole grain and it's been a saturday treat for them, but I'll definitely stop if it makes them have runny poos! We do have quinoa which I've given them a tiny bit before, but I've also read that too much protein is actually not great for them, and that's why most feeds sold have around a 16-18% protein percentage.

That's false information. Chickens benefit on higher protein feed. 20% feed is the most common, I gotten it as high as 22% - 24% protein. The highest amount of protein a chicken can handle is around 26%.

The bare minimum of Layer, & some All Flock feeds are around 16% - 18% lower then this the chicken won't thrive well.