Does molting affect poop consistency?

[swordgeek]

My younger girls (about 20 weeks) are losing a few feathers here and there, nothing big. Their poop is lovely. For poop. YOU know.

However, my older birds (2.5 years) are molting up a storm. They look so awful! Oddly, their poop has been pretty wet for awhile - one in particular is really liquid some of the time. The really wet girl, my partridge cochin, is acting totally normal in every other way: good appetite, drinking well, happy though bedraggled. None of my molting layers is laying.

They're all eating the same stuff: layer and grower (some of each out there, with oyster shells if desired), and a nice assortment of kitchen snacks. I've increased protein to them for the molt, but they're also getting a lot of apple stuff ('tis the season!) and greens. If it were dietary, I'd think ALL of them would be runny. I don't remember this being the case last year when they molted, but maybe it's because I have a poop board under the perch they've chosen, while last year, they perched over bedding? Does the molt affect their poop, or am I looking at something more sinister?

 

[Judy]

I don't really know, but I would expect a hard moult to affect their poop because they're so stressed by it -- some diarrhea makes sense.

I guess you could think about worming if you haven't at all, but personally, I'd just up the protein a bit and watch.

 

[swordgeek]

If I want to worm naturally, I add how much cayenne to what medium? It's not like the cayenne will hurt any of them even if they don't have worms, right? From what I've read here, it seems it will help no matter what.

I do have one plastic waterer outside that has ACV in it now, too. The 2 galvanized waterers do NOT (I learned that the hard way!) so I can't enforce any sort of "only drink from this one!" rule.

BTW, they're also getting yogurt every other day or two - for protein, calcium, and probiotics. I'm telling you, these birds eat better than I do.Plus, I give them some meat, shrimp, cooked eggs, BOSS, hummus, and even the occasional side of tempeh (if I don't finish it). Depends on what's on hand every morning, but there is always an additional protein supply out there for my stress monkeys. Plus they have lots of bugs at their disposal. Don't know what else to offer! (I'm looking at the cans of tuna in my basement, wondering if I dare... but even I won't eat that.)

 

[Judy]

They would love the tuna.

You may actually be giving them too many supplements. Even healthy ones shouldn't add up to much more than 10% of their feed/foragings, or so I've read on here.

 

[swordgeek]

I should probably have mentioned I don't give it all to them at once.

Except the ACV, that is.