green poop (posting photos)

[ggroves]

Hi, I'm a new member but have been following advice on this website for several years. I have been keeping chickens for about 3 to 4 years, currently have 4 backyard chickens My current chicken issue: my red sexlink currently has the strangest looking green poop that appears to have seeds in it. I don't think it's tapeworm but open to all suggestions. She is currently acting normally except that she is not laying but she had a recent molt. She used to be my best layer (she's the youngest). This type of poop has occurred with her before, recently-perhaps 6 weeks ago, and there was a short time when she was NOT acting normally, keeping away from the rest of the flock but this lasted for just a few days. Shortly before that she layed two strange eggs (for her) with ombre coloration, misshapen, not smooth. Around that time, I believe she had an egg break inside her, due to finding yolk on poop pad but no shell, so gave her soaks and removed some shell from her vent. No eggs since then and she is acting normal but the weird poop restarted yesterday. My vet doesn't "do" chickens. I have used an online chicken vet a while back for a different problem but not overly impressed. Any ideas what this green poop could mean and do you suggest any treatment. (All of the girls had a fairly recent deworming treatment-2 doses 10 days apart- with febendazole, more or less "just in case")

 

[Wyorp Rock]

my red sexlink currently has the strangest looking green poop that appears to have seeds in it.

She is currently acting normally except that she is not laying but she had a recent molt. She used to be my best layer (she's the youngest). This type of poop has occurred with her before, recently-perhaps 6 weeks ago, and there was a short time when she was NOT acting normally, keeping away from the rest of the flock but this lasted for just a few days. Shortly before that she layed two strange eggs (for her) with ombre coloration, misshapen, not smooth. Around that time, I believe she had an egg break inside her, due to finding yolk on poop pad but no shell, so gave her soaks and removed some shell from her vent.

What do you feed her including treats?
Do you mix oyster shell in the feed or provide it free choice?
You mention seeds - do you give scratch or a seed mix?

 

[ggroves]

She (Rose) and the other girls get Purina Layena Crumbles. I do offer oyster shell free choice but they tend not to touch it. The Purina product does contain oyster shell so I wasn't too worried about their intake but I like the idea to mix it in the feed, thanks. Treats: raw sunflower seeds, sometimes dried mealworms, pecans when I have them such as now; they love to eat whatever wet catfood the cats leave behind, and I occasionally scramble eggs for them. It looks like seeds in the poop but I'm not actually sure that is what it is. I had thought it could be worms but it doesn't act/move like tapeworm when you poke it with a stick. The photos were from yesterday and, since it looked like previous episode's poop, thought I would follow up to be proactive though she is currently acting normally and her vent area is pretty clean. This am, doesn't look so abnormal so I'm probably overreacting. She's my favorite, to be honest, and the youngest. I would feel better if she resumed egg laying, just to prove that she has recovered, but besides that, I'm fine with her not laying. Obviously, they have become my pets!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The Purina product does contain oyster shell so I wasn't too worried about their intake but I like the idea to mix it in the feed, thanks.

Treats: raw sunflower seeds, sometimes dried mealworms, pecans when I have them such as now; they love to eat whatever wet catfood the cats leave behind, and I occasionally scramble eggs for them. It looks like seeds in the poop but I'm not actually sure that is what it is. I had thought it could be worms but it doesn't act/move like tapeworm

I would not mix more oyster shell into the feed, I would leave it free choice. Why I was asking about oyster shell, I was trying to figure out what those bits are in the poop. Sounds gross, but can you collect some and see if it's actually seeds, grit, oyster shell, etc.? I was somewhat wondering if she is consuming a lot of oyster shell(?) and the "excess" is what you are seeing.

Personally, I do not like the idea of oyster shell mixed with feed period. Oyster shell is supplemental calcium - not all birds need the same amount. Layer feed "should" have "adequate" calcium already in it. The oyster shell is consumed as needed.

 

[ggroves]

I have no problem doing that, properly gloved! I'll post an update when it recurs. Was just hoping someone had seen something like this before. Didn't see any similarities to the online "poop" photos I've been checking. Thanks!