Fed chickens raw onion, now have bad diarrhea

[BKBarrelhorses]

I fed my three chickens about 3 cups of chopped onions (uncooked) on Sunday. Not knowing they were bad for them. And they are all three acting normal, eating, drinking and foraging. But my two Orps have very bad dark brown watery diarrhea. Is there anything I can do to help their tummies? Since they are all still acting normal and it's been 5 days im assuming they will be ok?

Thank you!!

 

[cgmccary]

What I have been told, the no-no list to feed chickens are: potato peeling, citrus, onion and garlic (although garlic clove smashed in their water can be a good thing & I have done). I think the main prohibition about onion and garlic is that the meat & eggs will taste like onion and garlic . . . . perhaps, and is only my opinion, the diarrhea will pass when the onion is out-of-their systems (could be like introducing a new feed suddenly).

Also, too much of any one thing is not good unless it is a balanced feed. 3 cups of raw onion sounds excessive-- how many birds?

I also subscribe to the too much salt (NaCl) is a dangerous thing -- primarily because the chicken's body can only rid itself of a certain amount of salt in a certain amount of time & they could die from too much. I once had the NaCl in dog & cat food computed to what the chicken's system could rid . . . . and found there was no danger of ingesting too much NaCl in those pet foods. However, I would never feed my birds potato chips for instance.

 

[BKBarrelhorses]

It was a little container of leftover chopped onion. And three chickens (pretty sure only two of them ate it and not sure if they ate all of it?)

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It was a little container of leftover chopped onion. And three chickens (pretty sure only two of them ate it and not sure if they ate all of it?)

I doubt that the simple ingestion of chopped onion has sickened your chickens, but 3/4s of a quart of raw onion would sure have me staying close to the bathroom.

 

[casportpony]

Call your vet and ask them what they do for cats and dogs that have eaten onions.

-Kathy

 

[appps]

Sounds like chickens have an intollerance to onions. If its anything like human intolerances nothing you can do but let nature take its course and wait till its out of its system. In a human that could be up to 3 days. There isn't anything makes human tummy's feel better so doubt there is for chickens either.

Just keep an eye on it in case its not the onions and the timing of symptoms was just coincidental.

 

[casportpony]

From what I just read onion poisoning in cats and dogs is pretty serious.

-Kathy

 

[rottnwarrior]

My chickens get all of our scraps and leftovers which often has onions and other things on the no list. As long as they have free choice feed, they eat what scraps they want and leave what they don't. They eat the onions no problem and seem to love them. I wouldn't worry too much unless they ate a ton of them and are acting sick.