Does chick starter feed make their poop more smelly?

[Emmyjim]

I am currently raising two four week old chicks. Is it normal for their cecal poop to be really smelly? I am feeding them organic chick starter crumble. I also have adult chickens and their poop is not that smelly. Is the strong foul smell of the chicks’ cecal poop a result of the high percentage of protein in their feed?

 

[Weeg]

Yep! Cecal poop usually smells pretty bad, no avoiding that.

 

[Emmyjim]

Yep! Cecal poop usually smells pretty bad, no avoiding that.

But when I switch the chicks as they get older, to a standard low percentage amount of protein will their cecal poop still be nasty smelling?

 

[Weeg]

But when I switch the chicks as they get older, to a standard low percentage amount of protein will their cecal poop still be nasty smelling?

Yep.

 

[NatJ]

I am currently raising two four week old chicks. Is it normal for their cecal poop to be really smelly? I am feeding them organic chick starter crumble. I also have adult chickens and their poop is not that smelly. Is the strong foul smell of the chicks’ cecal poop a result of the high percentage of protein in their feed?

Are the chicks inside but the adults outside?

If so, you might be noticing the smell more from the chicks. (Because you are right there to smell it when it is fresh, before it has a chance to dry out and be a little less stinky.)

 

[Brooks_]

It could also be the brand of feed. There have been comments about that.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Cecals smell badly, regardless. Different feeds smell different badly. Even the "same" feed when the mill changes the mix due to differences in the nutritional makeup of the raw ingredients, or in response to price moves as the reformulate.

Chickens drink more water as it gets warmer, which also results in differences in the gut biome, and thus... smell.