Effects from egg laying

[crystalsc]

Newbie question. Does egg laying affect the chickens poop? Prior to any egg laying, all poops were well formed but since laying eggs, I’m scooping (for lack of a better term) more splats. Just seems their poop is much more runny. Is this normal? I know hormones can mess with digestive systems in humans so wondering if chickens are the same.

 

[McChooky]

Newbie question. Does egg laying affect the chickens poop? Prior to any egg laying, all poops were well formed but since laying eggs, I’m scooping (for lack of a better term) more splats. Just seems their poop is much more runny. Is this normal? I know hormones can mess with digestive systems in humans so wondering if chickens are the same.

In warmer weather my chickens drink more water and have wetter poop .It also happens when I feed them mash

 

[crystalsc]

I’ve been treating them with a mix of cabbage, kale, organic coconut chunks, mango chunks, radishes and slivered almonds. I might start eliminating these one by one and see if any of those are having the effect.

 

[Tonyroo]

It's probably the coconut and mango chunks.

 

[crystalsc]

It's probably the coconut and mango chunks.

Thanks. I’ll start there. Though they do LOVE the mango. They seem to prefer that to any other fruit I’ve offered.

 

[Tonyroo]

Try fresh tomatoes, my flock loves them. Plus it nutritious.

 

[aart]

Poops definitely get much larger once they start laying, from eating more, but the extra stuff(other than hopefully a balanced chicken ration) you are feeding will definitely have a effect not only on their droppings but on their overall nutrition(not in a good way IMO).

 

[crystalsc]

will definitely have an effect not only on their droppings but on their overall nutrition(not in a good way IMO).

Will you please explain? I’m still learning and there seems to be a lot of misinformation out there. I had read that all of these things are good for chickens in moderation.
My girls have a 18% crumble that is their all-the-time feed. For treats, I will sometimes make a plate of the before mentioned items, or mealworms.

 

[Sally PB]

I had read that all of these things are good for chickens in moderation.

The usual suggestion is that treats are NO MORE than 10% of their daily food, even if the treats are good for them.

For a treat you can feed all they can eat, take some of their regular food, and wet it into a mash. This is my chickens' favorite treat, and they get some just about every afternoon.

I can dress it up with bits of fruit or veg, add some kitchen scraps, or give it plain. They love it, they eat it all, and I haven't "diluted" their nutrition one bit.

It's also a good way to use up the fine bits that fall to the bottom of their bowl.

 

[aart]

Will you please explain? I’m still learning and there seems to be a lot of misinformation out there. I had read that all of these things are good for chickens in moderation.
My girls have a 18% crumble that is their all-the-time feed. For treats, I will sometimes make a plate of the before mentioned items, or mealworms.

You can go by the 10% 'rule'.....IF you have a good handle on how much feed they will eat without offering anything else. It's not so much the protein as the vitamins/minerals/amino acids in the feed that may be diluted to a not so good level.

I believe that many keepers give other foods more for themselves than the chickens benefit, the same way people often feed their dog and cats and human children too many 'treats'.