Dear Poopologist! Help!

[DrFre]

I’m getting back in the game as far as backyard feather cats(aka chickens/ducks). I’ve been seeing these droppings in the coop for a few weeks now, and everything I see on The Googles says it’s the end of the world or leads me in a goose chase(I don’t have geese.. lol). So I’m here…. Is one of my ladies sick?
(Pics are tar like colored poo looking mucusy).
Thank you in advance,
Dr. Frē
(Pronounced: Free)

 

[azygous]

Have you noticed any chicken acting "off"? Those samples are troubling, but without a suspect sick chicken, all you can do is watch for somebody to start acting sick. Poop supplies a minimal clue. Behavior supplies many more clues.

Black poop can signal internal bleeding. Or it can signal chickens picking up charcoal and ashes someplace. Do you dispose of fire or stove ashes where your chickens can find them? If so, this is harmless.

 

[DrFre]

I just recently started adding the neighbor's fireplace ashes to the areas they dust bathe in because I started seeing these droppings, and no one is acting odd (so far).....oh wait the roommate did catch one of the other ladies under the BBQ the other day. I'm going to go check if there may be charcoal etc there.

 

[azygous]

That's very likely why you're seeing black poop. Even fine ashes mixed into soil where chickens dirt bathe will produce black poop since chickens pick up a lot of grit as they dirt bathe. I've seen this in my flock. It's not a problem.

 

[frostic]

That's very likely why you're seeing black poop. Even fine ashes mixed into soil where chickens dirt bathe will produce black poop since chickens pick up a lot of grit as they dirt bathe. I've seen this in my flock. It's not a problem.

i see this too but alot less in winter when there is no charcoals they can get to. chickens eat anything. i seen mine eat a rat, lizard and other birds too so who knows what they "don't" eat LOL

 

[frostic]

@azygous
I have also noticed something odd, my chickens dig really deep holes, they don't dust bathe in them they just like to dig. also i been seeing them bring me gifts (i now this is odd) but when they dig they find nails, cool looking things and shiny rocks and anything that would make you say wow thats awesome and they put them in a pile at the gate like they are giving me gifts. its so cute

 

[DrFre]

No charcoal or whatnot around the BBQ area…. I would suspect the charcoal or ash black poops are normal consistency just colored black… these droppings are tar like or mucusy. I noticed it after I dewormed them with Ivermectin

 

[azygous]

these droppings are tar like or mucusy. I noticed it after I dewormed them with Ivermectin

Bingo! Worming causes worms to die or be paralyzed while still inside your chickens. While the worms were alive, they were absorbing blood from your chickens. Following me so far? Then you worm your chickens.

So, next your chickens poop out the dead worms and even some live ones that were merely anesthetized but have revived. All are full of blood they extracted from your chickens. So now these worms and the blood they contain are mixed in with the poop, causing the poop to be black.

This is normal and happens a lot when you worm animals.

 

[DrFre]

Bingo! Worming causes worms to die or be paralyzed while still inside your chickens. While the worms were alive, they were absorbing blood from your chickens. Following me so far? Then you worm your chickens.

So, next your chickens poop out the dead worms and even some live ones that were merely anesthetized but have revived. All are full of blood they extracted from your chickens. So now these worms and the blood they contain are mixed in with the poop, causing the poop to be black.

This is normal and happens a lot when you worm animals.

I found the same exact pile in the same exact spot this morning.
Does it mean an upper GI issue?
Could it be the fermented food?

 

[azygous]

Are any chickens acting sick, lethargic, not eating? The Ivermectin will continue to be active in the chickens' systems for a week or more, continuing to flush out worms. If you have chickens acting sick, something is wrong. But chickens behaving normally means poop is just poop.

For example, I found some watery, yellow poop on the poop board a few mornings ago. I identified the hen that produced it and she was acting a little bit off from her usual behavior which is usually very active and inquisitive. So, I put her on an antibiotic. Without the behavior deviation, I would have just watched the poop to see if it continued and also watch behavior to see if she started to act sick, at which point I would jump in with treatment.